284 CHINESE HUSBANDRY. 



of the wind cannot become rain, but is hur- 

 ried about with great violence. The itorra 

 increafes as the wind tacks to the weft ward ; 

 and when it is become quite wefterly, neither 

 trees nor houies are always fecure: it changes 

 ftill from one point of the compafs to the 

 other, till after twenty-four hours it begins to 

 abate. Such tempefts feldom pafs over with- 

 out doing fome damage among the fields, 

 boats, or houfes; for which reafon the Chlncfc 

 call it tayfong y or the great wind. 



The Chlnefe know how to avail themfelves 

 of this periodical weather, to the great advan- 

 tage of their agriculture. They work the foil 

 when it is wetted by the autumnal weather, 

 and is yet foft for planting, or receiving the 

 winter-feeds; this happens about December: 

 and the air being then cooler, the water can- 

 not dry away fo foon, but that it mufl forward 

 both the growth and the crop, fo that the lat- 

 ter may be perfected in a hundred and twenty 

 days, that is, in April. The ground which is 

 then again foaked by the rainy feafon is ma- 

 nured a little, ploughed, and made ready for 

 the fecond reception of the feeds, or planting: 

 the ufual time for the fecond preparation of 

 the fields in the fame year, is either towards 

 2 the 



