. - 15 - 



(g) There is much more of miscellaneous waste lands 

 found in "driblets," but still large in total, than one would 

 suppose could exist in so thickly populated a country. 



Not all of these areas are "waste" land. The graves grow 

 grass for fuel, and some of the hills devoted to fuel grass bring 

 a larger income to the owner than would come from ordinary 

 farming in the same region. 



B Labor Efficiency 



Surplus of Labor. So vast are the labor resources of China 

 that even large additions to or subtractions from the number of 

 workers seem to effect production only slightly. This surplus 

 of available labor is the great outstanding agricultural fact, for 

 not only does it make higher standards difficult, but many 

 believe that higher standards of production and comfort will be 

 at once absorbed by a further ratio of increase in population, 

 and so a maintenance of the vicious circle of poverty, over- 

 population, low-standards of life. The labor surplus constitutes, 

 for agriculture as indeed for all industry in China, the basic 

 problem. 



Hand Labor and Machinery. One consequence of labor 

 surplus is hand labor; it is the cheapest power at present 

 available. Tools are used of course and are simple and effective. 

 Of farm machinery there is very little, and there are sharp 

 limitations to its use, though doubtless experiment will reveal 

 many adaptations of western farm implements that can be made 

 to the advantage of labor efficiency on Chinese farms. In North 

 China, and on large holdings on the great flood plains, modern 

 machinery can be used freely. Importations of American farm 

 machinery are steadily increasing. 



Effectiveness of the labor. A careful western observer 

 states that, while cotton-picking in China is necessarily a slower 

 process than in the United States, the average Chinese day's 

 picking is not over one-quarter of that in some parts of America. 

 Judged by western standards the "rate" of work is slow and 

 the product per worker exceedingly low. This may not be 

 typical. There is no way at present of making accurate 

 comparisons with farmers in other lands. 



Scattered holdings. Not only are the holdings small but 

 they are often widely scattered. In some cases this method of 

 allotment causes much v/aste of time and effort. 



