The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-08-01
How Grain Fields of Manchuria
 Are To Be Opened Up

Copyright, 1900, by Rrank G. Carpen-
Mukden, Manchuria. 1909.

G.
 ter.)
 Mukden, Manchuria. 1909
 IVY THIN two miles of this city
 W surrounded by lands as rich
 as the Red river valley. amid farming methods as old as those of the delta of Egypt, a modern agri- cultural academy has beeen started by the government officials of this back woods of China. They have appro- priated si50,00O year for it's sup port, and have a live experimental farm of 300 acres connected with it.
 This agricultural station was formed by Tang Shao VI, the former govern or of Mukden. who recently went to America to thank us for the return of the Boxer indemnity. I understand that part of his mission was to look up educational talent for his agricul- tural academy, and that he will bring dozen or so young Americans back with him. He has already induced two Of our well known agricultural ex- perts to come here. These are Mr. k. C. Parker and MT. w. II. Tomhaye. who have both been connected with the University of Minnesota Both have performed good experimental farm work in the United States. Pro- 1essor Parker has written several books and has also done excellent work for the government at Washing ton.
 These young men are now on the ground. They arrived some months ago, and, since then have been travel Ing over Manchuria on horseback and In carts, studying the country and it's agricultural possibilities. They have covered a large part of southern Man cnuria and have gone through some of the sparsely settled northern portions which they tell me promise to become one of the great bread baskets of Asia and possibly it's meat basket as we'll
 Indeed, this new agricultural movement is one of the most encouraging evidences or the awakening of Asia, and that 1t should be so far advanced in Manchuria beyond the frontier of China, Is remark able It is also to be noted that the move ment has its origin in America, and that 1t Is being backed with the American education of Chinese brains. His excel lency, Tang Shao Vi. who is the prime mover and head. is a graduate of Yale university, and M T. Liang, who Is the chief counselor of the viceroy, and also Tang Shao Yfs assistant. was educated at the same school. The new agricultural academy has it's director Mir c. S. Chan young Chinese graduate of the University of California, who speaks Eng fish as well any reader of thls news paper, and the text books he uses are based upon the work of our agricultural department in Washington
 On the Way To the Farm.
 It was through the kindness Of M. T. Liang, whom l had previously met at the viceroys yamen, that Director Chan called upon me at my inn and arranged for me to visit the farm and school Messrs. Parker and Tomhaye went with us and 1t was in two old Russian droschlxies which were stranded here by the war that we galloped through the wide streets of Mukden and out into the country. On our way we passed much farm produce coming into the city. There were great loads of sorghum seed hauled in Chinese carts by rough Manchurian ponies and carts piled high with bags Of soy beans. Now and then we passed a grain sna where millet and sorghum seed were set out for sale in round basket bins the size of a hogshead, and again went by men and Animals bringing bean stalks and sorghufn cane into the city for fuel. AS we did so, Professor Parker remarked:
 '"rhat Is one of the curses of Manchu- rfan farming These people skin the land of its natural fertilizers. Every corn sta1k, every bean vine and every weed is . eaved for fuel Even the s9ubble of the sorghum is pulled Nup by the, roots by the BOOT people. who gre aliowsd to go over