The New York herald., 1922-04-02

over forty centuries. Yet farm land
in China is still known to be the
most productive in the world. China's
population to-day is almost 500.000,-
600, and her people now, as in ancient
times, are chiefly maintained upon
the products Of an area smaller than
the improved farm lands of the
United States" 1t was this fact, so
at variance with history. that
prompted DIR. Lee to undertake her
research. And then, having the in
terests Of her country at heart, DIR.
Lee endeavored to concentrate her
study in such way that China's
economic problems, in the light of
history, might be thoroughly under
stood and solved.
1t should promptly. be said for
DIR. Lee that her exhaustive research
does not commence with Mencius and
the third century before Christ. In
deed, we find ourselves learning
that twenty-eight centuries before
Christ the Chinese were taught to
farm crudely. though apparently sat
isfactorily, by a beneficent ruler
whose very name. Shonnung, signi-
fed divine farmer" We learn, also,
that such an extraordinarily feasible
system OF land tenure and distribu-
ton as that which is known as the
Using Tien System had its beginning
with the founding of the Chinese
Empire in 269s B. C.
This system was gradually devel-
oped and elaborated. 1t reached its
elimination some sixteen centuries
later. We then find that land was
distributed according to it's quality.
and with due regard to the size of
the family; moreover, that the tax
levied was proportionate to the fer
tiiity OF the SOIL, Practically all the
people Of China were then farmers.
Great dignity attached to the occu-
patton. THE Emperor was a culti-
vator himself" In January of each
year he published notices of. expert
advice to his people based upon his
own experience" Every one had to
work more or less on farms and was
part Of the Using Tien System, which
in its administration became a sort
Of 'feudal SYSTEM"
Even then the empire recognized
the fact that agriculture constituted
its chief source of national wealth.
There were regular officials for in
structing the people in regard to
the seasons and implements, culti-
vation and irrigation. There was
one man whose duties consisted in
differentiating the various soils and
finding the crops best suited to each.
Another had charge OF irrigation,
particularly as it pertained to rice
crops. And IL is interesting to OBJ
serve that these early Chow rulers
understood the details Of irrigation
as well as some phases Of fertiliza-
ton. Their legislation likewise
shows that they certainly had a
definite appreciation of the more far
reaching results of soil depletion.
In this connection DIR. Lee calls
attention to the fact that. while
their vigorous d istrat ii o n
brought about an extraordinary de-
gree Of agricultural prosperity, the
idea might also be advanced that
the land, whose yield had been taxed
TO its utmost for almost two thou
sand years, was in a condition to
warrant such rigorous legislation.
And. as we read further, history
would seem to substantiate DR.. Lees
idea. For directly we find the masses
suffering hardship through famine
idleness and high prices of grain
Farmers were unable to exc living
out of the soil. For the first time
in Chinese history we hear of wan
ity to feed their families were forced
to desert their fields, the farms
which had been their homes and the
homes of their ancestors for gen.
erations. The Using Tien System
in force for over twenty-three cen.
turies, had to be abolished, because
it was no longer adequate to meet
conditions. Land was bought ant
sold.
In the latter half of the tenth GEN.
tury many attempts were made &c