AGRICULTURE IN CHINA.
General Grant, in speaking of the methods of agriculture in China, said that he was shown a piece of land which has been under cultivation -every year for 5000 years without deterioration of the fertility of the soil. This result is effected by returning to the soil everything taken from it. Fish constitutes a largo portion of the food of the people, and all offal not consumed for human food is carefully applied to the soil, and fish is a great fertiliser. Even the roots of wheat—wheat is grown to a very limited extent—are taken and rotted in a compost heap and returned to the soil. All the leaves and garbage are utilised in the same manner. He said ! “ Famines occur in the interior of China, in which thousands die of starvation. This is due to the Want of facilities for transportation. In the aggregate the country produces enough to support even the dense life of China, but in some seasons there are portions of the country where crops are total or part'al failures ; while in these same seasons crops are abundant and successful in other parts. Facilities for transportation would enable the more favored districts to supply the destitution in the localities of want, but no such facilities exist.”
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DUNST18800528.2.19
Bibliographic details
Dunstan Times, Issue 945, 28 May 1880, Page 3
Word Count
213AGRICULTURE IN CHINA. Dunstan Times, Issue 945, 28 May 1880, Page 3
Using This Item
No known copyright (New Zealand)
To the best of the National Library of New Zealand’s knowledge, under New Zealand law, there is no copyright in this item in New Zealand.
You can copy this item, share it, and post it on a blog or website. It can be modified, remixed and built upon. It can be used commercially. If reproducing this item, it is helpful to include the source.
For further information please refer to the Copyright guide.
Log in