2 8o CHINESE HUSBANDRY. 

 Both methods have the fame effeft, fince the 

 whole bufinefs required is to remove the old 

 rice flumps, and turn them under ground ; 

 for, as the ground is always fo foft that the 

 labourers mull wade up to the knees in it, the 

 work is very eafy. Their plough is very Am- 

 ple, and is drawn by an ox ; but with the 

 beck-hoe they can hkewife penetrate as deep 

 into the foil as they think proper, without 

 much trouble. By the next tide the ground 

 is made as even as if it had been rolled ; and 

 as the continual humidity of the foil hinders 

 the ground from binding together, they want 

 no other tools. All other forts of arable 

 fields are prepared in the fame manner, fince 

 they choofe that time for cultivation when the 

 ground is mod foftened by the wet, and ac- 

 cordingly can be 410ft eafily managed. 



They manure, plough, and prepare a little 

 part of a field, about 60 feet fquare, either 

 more or lefs, which mull be as the other 

 ground, wet and fwampy, but at fuch a di- 

 stance from the river as not to be expofed to 

 inundations when the water is high in the 

 river. They fow it very thick with rice, 

 which is firft foaked in water, in which lime 

 and dung had been prevkmfly put. When 



thg 



