Evening star., 1929-07-28

SOya beans ...,........ S,SUO,OOU IONS
Other beans .......... $4,000 tons
Kaoliang a sorghum, or
coarse maize) ....... $500, 900 tons
Millet .................. 3,700,000 tons
Maize CIndian corn) 49,. l,sso,000 tons
Wheat t................. l,660,00 tons
Rice $4,000 tons
Other cereals .......... 1,S30,O00 tons
Excluding numerous other minor
crops, these make o total for the year
| in the neighborhood Of 10000, 900 tons.
With the exceptions Of maize. rice and
| the miscellaneous cereals, production
| was greater than In 1927. The soya
bean crop increased by about 400. 1000
tons, and the kaoliange crop by about
100000 tons.
Expectation of agricultural products
is still increasing, but the rate OF this
| increase is falling somewhat because
consumption within Manchuria Is rising
with the steady growth Of population.
japanese Introduce Cotton.
Cotton has been successfully intro
duced In the japanese leased territory
| in the southern tip Of Manchuria. In
1927 about $500 acres within this ter
ritory were planted with cotton, which
produced crop OF approximately
1900, 900 pounds. Last year the cotton
acreage here was more than doubled,
and production increased to about
1000. 900 pounds.
by independent Chinese farmers. ac-
cording to customary farm practice. a
considerable part-more than fourth
, during 1927-was produced by corpo-
rate enterprise, the Manchurian Raw
Cotton Co., an extraordinary instance
Of big business engaging in farming.
The object Is to supply the raw material
for the japanese cotton mills.
The Manchurian Raw Cotton Co. is
not only raising cotton, but encouraging
cotton production by the Chinese farm
ers throughout Southern Manchuria.
This promotion work has the CO.
operation of the local Chinese govern
ment and the South Manchurian Rail-
way Co. The agricultural experimental
stations Of the railway company are
giving much attention to cotton culture
In the railway zone. It seems reason
ably certain that within few years
Manchuria will be producing about $50
000,0 pounds annually. Practically
the whole output. it Is assumed, will 90
to the spinning mills Of Japan.
Power Machinery Finds Market.
The total soles Of farm implements
In Manchuria In 1928 were double the
1927 sales. American-made power ma
chinery Is beginning to be introduced
on q fairly large scale after q long
campaign. One difhculty was the con-
servative Oriental attitude still strong
among the peasants that the methods
and tools which did for their fore
fathers would do as well for them TO-.
day. The other was the scarcity Of
farm units suffciently large to warrant
the use Of costly machinery.
Considerable headway has been made
lately In organizing cooperative So
cieties in some Of the more prosperous
farming communities to pool the sur
plus of large number Of farmers and
buy machinery for community use. II
Is likely that this plan will spread
widely over Manchuria.
On the other hand. in parts of North
ern Manchuria land is coming to be
held In large acreages by banks. govern
ment organizations and individuals.
who are developing their holdings as
big farms instead Of parceling them
tributing to the market for power ma
chinery.
Motor Transport on Increase.
Sales of motor cars and trucks,
mostly of American manufacture, in
creased in Northern Manchuria last
year, although few new motor roads
have been built. In the BarEa region
roads are not necessary because the
Monsol plain Is SO smooth that motor
cars can be driven over them anywhere.
Elsewhere bridges are scarce. and the
dirt country roads are too soft Tor
motor traffic.
Nevertheless. bus lines are on the
increase More than 500 motor buses
and q like number Of cars were bought
In 1928. bringing the total Of motor
vehicles In Northern Manchuria up to
about 5000. Commercial trucks are
still relatively scarce In this region.
But the Chinese are awake to the ad-
vantases of motor transport. In Muk-
den automobile equipment Is reported
as leading In general trade.
The railways which have made pos
sible the rapid colonization Of Man
churia and are thriving upon the re-
sulting trade and traffic consist OF three
lines, with q network OF
branch and smaller lines.
Railway Develops Industries.
The South Manchuria Railway, SOS
miles In length. is extraordinarily
profitable. During the last flscal year
It's revenues were 49,, 3,000, 900 yen. while
the operating costs were only SO. .000, GOO:
The railway company has put much
Of its large surplus earnings into sub
sidiary enterprises and semi-public de-
velopnnent projects. The Anshan Iron
and Steel Works and the Fushun Col
lieries are the two principal subsidiaries,
md there are many more, especially IN
the Kuantung (Japanesel leased ter
ritory. The splendid modern improve
ments Of the harbor and city OF Dairen
have been financed largely by the South
Railway.
The railway company maintains
central laboratory at Dairen and agri-
cultural experimental stations at sew
eral points in the railway zone, which
have contributed materially to the re-
gion's prosperity. For instance, wool
is said to have been quad
rupled by crossing Marino sheep with
MonRolian breeds. Tobacco has been
as well as cotton and rice
all three crops which q generation ago
no one thought possible In Manchuria.
Fruit Orchards Encouraged.
Fruit orchards are being encouraged
and by seed selection the yield Of the
farms in the railway zone has been In
has been manufactured from animal
bone, q wood pulp substitute from kao-
liang stalks, and potassium salts from
kaoliaIlg ashes.
As work of economic empire build
ine the South Manchuria Railway Co.
has accomplished something more
thorough and complete. even though
less extensive, than that achieved by
our transcontinental railroads.
Just now the South Manchuria Rail-
way Co. Is starting a particularly I'M
portant development in the extraction
Of shale oil from deposits at It's
rushun coal fields. The company also
has recently launched projects In pro-
duction Of sulphate of ammonia. paraf-