The Western news., 1901-11-13
TILL LITTLE FARMS.
r1E CHINESE FARMERS USUALLY
r1AvE TWO OR THREE ACRES.
Density of Population Unknown Else
where on Earth-Cro wd ed Condition Of
Country Gives Occasion for Striking
omparisons--Why People Are Poor.

omparisons--Why People Are Poor.
According to the last census there ia
in the United States, exclusive of Alas
la and Hawaii, an average OF 26.6 in
habitants to the square mile. In other
words, our density of population is far
smaller than that of any. country OF
Europe excepting Norway and Sweden.
But crowded as Europe is, in compari-
son with this country, it's peoples seem
to have abundant elbow room when
they are contrasted with the hundreds
OF millions living in India and China.
DR.. A. Supan, the distinguished geog-
rapher and one of the editors of 'Ber-
olkerung der Erde," estimates the pop
ulaton of China at over 25O,G00,O0O not
including the sparsely peopied regions
outside of China proper. China is only
about as large as Russia, but it has
nearly as many inhabitants as the
whole of Europe. New Jersey, with an
average of 250.3 inhabitants to the
square mile, is the third most densely
peopled State in the United States, be-
ing surpassed only by Rhode Island and
Massachusetts. If one-half of our coun-
try We're as densely peopled as New
Jersey with its big cities and import
ant towns that half OF the United States
would have just about as large popu-
lation as is crowded into China. But
V China like all other large countries, has
important areas in which the popuia-
ton is comparatively small. Ii we
would know what density of population
really means in China we must go to
the low, rich plains, which, though only
| small part of the country, contain
nearly third of the people, or about
110,OGO Geo souls.
There are only two plains of great
Importance, the most of China being a
mountainous or a very rugged country.
belt near the sea from a little south Of
the Yangtse River to the north of
Picking 1t is crossed by the Hoang
River, whose terrible floods have some
times killed millions of people. The
other plain, In the low regions of the
=
river and its larger tributaries, and it
(, is narrow in all parts, for mountains
hem 1t in. On these plains about third
Of the people of China gain their living,
+; for the most part by tilling the soil.
If the 76.0GO,O0O inhabitants of the
United States lived in the State of
Texas and 4G,OG0,0o0 more people We're
crowded among them we should have a
parallel in this country Of the density
Of population on the two plains of
China. No wonder that tilling in China
is Of the nature of garden culture, thai
each householder has only two or three
acres Of ground, that mountains in most
parts of the country are terraced and
titled and that East China has been
denuied of its timber so that every foot
OF the soil may be cultivated.
The masses Of the people in any colln.
try, herded together like the Chinese
would perhaps be as poor as they are
Overpopulaton ;s dire evil and the
Chinese are suffering from it. Where
the farmer tills only garden spot that
produces scarcely enough food for his
family, he has little to sell and can buy
little. Such minute subdivision of the
soil as prevails in China would KEEP
any people poor; no matter how high y
the commercial aptitude of the Chiness
may be developed, their part in trade
will always be small in proportion tC
population as long as they are mostly
farmers, each til.ng only two or three
acres of And.-Washington Times.