274 CHINESE HUSBANDRY. 



rice decreafes ; and that rye, barley, wheat, 

 beans, peafe, &c. are cultivated inftead of it j 

 for which reafon, the inhabitants of the 

 northern parts, where rice will not grow at 

 all, are faid to be well acquainted with the 

 rrtanagement of the laft mentioned different 

 fpecies of corn. 



The fouthern provinces likewife produce 

 fome wheat, beans, fmall peafe, and lentils, 

 which the inhabitants either make ufe of 

 themfelves, or fell to foreigners. But rice is 

 fown more plentifully ; and as it is ufed in- 

 itead of bread about Canton, I {hall fpeak 

 more particularly of it. 



It has already been frequently demonstrat- 

 ed, that China is exceedingly populous. Moil 

 parts of the country are fo crowded with ha- 

 bitations, that you are amazed to fee the land 

 able to produce fufficient corn for fo many 

 millions of inhabitants ; and efpecially as they 

 are not fupplied with it from other places, 

 except by a few junks from Cochin China, or 

 Malay, and fometimes (but rarely) by a few 

 Dutch fhips. But When one comes to reflecl 

 upon their almoft incredible induftry in culti- 

 vating and ufing every thing which can be 



made 



