The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1944-05-04
IxE{5s6E :lI9iy Dies
j. 5. Farm Expert Gives
Friendly Advice TO China
Dep artment Of Agriculture Officials Visit
Chinese, Suggest Practical Methods
OF Increasing Food Production.
BY BAUKHAGE
Ne,os ANALYST and Commentator.

small farming and very smali IaIIn-
ing. indeed, Is the chief activity. In
the west, there are great grass
lands better adapted to the raising
of stock.
Animal husbandry In China must
meet one immediate problem, and
that is, increasing and improving
production In the western part OF
the country and breeding for re-
stocking in the areas which will be
re-occupied when the Japanese are
driven out.
The heavy demands for food by
the American military, to say moth
ing Of China's own soldiers, make It
necessary for the Chinese to In
crease food production to the
utmost. At present, however, Or.
Phillips reported that except for the
famine areas where drouth or IN
sects have affected the crops, the
Chinese people have more food
available than is popularity believed.
But they aren't making the most
of their cows and pigs and chickens.
AS to the Chinese COW, about which
DR.. Phillips spoke with great feel
ing, one OF the first things to DO is
to teach the Chinese peasant that It
gives milk and that milk is pretty
good food. And then to improve the
breed so that 1t will give milk. At
present, the COW is beast OF bur-
den, a draft animal. However, IT
isn't even as good a draft animal
as it could be. 1t will not be diff
cult to improve the breed so that IT
will be more efficient as beast OF
burden and as milk giyer, at the
same time.
OF course, the Nomadic people
who live on the great plains OF
northern China, who live from their
herds, use the milk as food, mostly
dried in the form Of casein. They
also store butter. They have the yak
and hybrid animal, cross be-
tween a yak and COW, which IS
called q 'pian-niu."
The chickens in China aren't
much to crow about either, | take
| It, from DR.. Phillips description. Il
they lay only SO to so eggs year.
nobody complains. There, too.
breeding from selected types that
China already has would be great
help.
DR.. Phillips likes the Chinese dom
keys and in spite OF personal expert
ences on their backs, thinks Mon
golian horses have possibilities.
i Very good mules are produced BY
crossing the Monaghan mare and
the donkey. But the Monaghan horse
is little, tough-mouthed, fiat-with-
cred, crooked-legged animal which
| could be greatly improved with
interviewing with a good saddle
horse strain.
No Ordered Effort
DR.. Phillips had frst-hand expert
ence with these little animals whose
ancestors were tough enough to
carry Ghangis Khan across Asia but
are too tough to follow the bride ii
they get other ideas.
| Up until now, there seems to have
been no ordered effort by the repre-
sentatives Of any other foreign coun-
try to assist in the improvement Of
Chinese livestock. Missionaries here
and there have introduced better
grades which have had an influence
in the immediate vicinity, German
missionaries brought in some nice
fat pigs. Others introduced good
chickens and cows. But these were
only drop in the bucket.
The Chinese Department Of Agri-
culture itself is new thing and has
very little background Of training OF
experience. Perhaps the one most
important influence has been the ex
change established between Cornell
university and the University ir
Marking. A number OF experts ir
agriculture have been trained a
Cornell and have gone back t.
China.
Naturally with such large pro
portion OF the population illiterate
it will be exceedingly difficult tt
! spread the information even wher
. the Chinese leaders themselves art
, trained.
The present Chinese government
despite the fact that almost every
ounce Of energy has to be turned
, toward fighting the war, has shown
! an interest evidenced by the vel
! come reception given the various
, American representatives, and tn,
! United States on its side has sough
! to improve its relations between
} people and extend its influence b,
this activity which Is a part OF TIL
+, cultural relations program.