1854. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



45 



thrown off, and itself reduced to a proper consist-] 

 ency to be assimilated to all its parts) it then makes 

 its way downward through the vessels of the cor- 

 tical layers, and in its progress deposits in several 

 sets of vessels with which it communicates, ma- 

 terials on which the growth and nourishment of 

 the plant depend — descending no farther and in 

 no greater quantities than is required to nourish 

 the several organs, so that while the sap rises and 

 descends in the plant it does not undergo a real 

 circulation. 



The last of the organs of plants is the Jloicer or 

 blossom-which produces the fruits and seed. These 

 may be considered as the ultimate purpose of na- 

 ture in the vegetable kingdom. But the seed 

 which forms the final product of the mature plant 

 we have already examined. 



These then are the principal organs of vegetation 

 by means of which the several chemical processes 

 which are carried on during the life of the plant 

 are performed . R. h.h. 



Burlin-gton, Fi., 1853. 



For the New England Farmer 

 CHINESE MANURES. 



Some time since a correspondent of the Farmer 

 inquired how it is that, — while England not only 

 imports breadstuffs, but ransacks almost the whole 

 world for guano, bones, and other fertilizing arti- 

 cles to keep up the produce of her fields, and, in 

 our own country, as a general rule, the soil dete- 

 riorates in proportion to the length of time it is 

 cultivated, — the Chinese, without commerce and 

 with but few domestic animals, have maintained 

 the fertility of their soil for the successive centuries 

 during which it has supported a wonderfully dense 

 population 1 



With the hope of obtaining an answer more sat- 

 isfactory than any I have found in the few books 

 on China within my reach, I addressed a note to 

 the Rev. Mr. Syle, of the Episcopal Mission to 

 China, who is now on a visit to his native land, 

 after a residence of some years in China. Believ- 

 ing his kind reply will prove a valuable contribution 

 to the columns of the Farmer, 1 forward it to you 

 for publication. 



Providence, R. /., Nov. 20th, 1853. 



Stilman Fletcher : — Dear Sir, — Many and 

 pressing engagements have up to this time hin- 

 dered me from replying to your letter of Oct. 4, 

 in which you make certain inquiries concerning 

 the method of manuring practised by the Chinese. 

 I will do my best to answer your question ; though, 

 in doing so, I must beg you to bear in mind that 

 I can only speak of what has fallen under my own 

 observation in the city and neighborhood of Shang- 

 hai. 



The most important manures there used were 

 human ordure and urine (especially the latter) di- 

 luted with water and poured over the vegetables 

 as they grow. It is also thrown over the rice 

 fields as they stand partly flooded with water. In 

 order to obtain this valuable, though not delecta- 

 ble manure, the country people send boats up to 

 the city every high tide, and into these are emptied 

 the contents of all the privies and urinals, which 



are to be seen all through the streets — not to men- 

 tion the contents of the chamber utensils which 

 the women bring out every afternoon, as a matter 

 of course — every one to the back door of her own 

 house, where it is received in larger buckets by 

 men who come round for the purpose, and Avhose 

 occupation it is to carry it off to the boats before 

 mentioned. The public "necessaries," which 

 stand generally in rather conspicuous situations, 

 are quite valuable as property, and the money ob- 

 tained for these chamber products are among the 

 perquisites claimed by the servants of a family. 



One other principal article of manure is the oil- 

 cake which results from the compression of a small 

 bean (grown chiefly in Shangtung). After being 

 bruised and steamed, this bean yields a consider- 

 able quantity of. oil, and the cake that remains is 

 found quite valuable for its fertilizing properties. 

 This also is applied as a liquid, the cake being 

 steeped and stirred up in a good deal of water. 

 Besides being thus used, the cake is given in small 

 quantities as feed for cattle — that is, for the wa- 

 ter-ox or buffalo, which is the animal employed al- 

 most exclusively in working their land. It is to 

 the excrement of these animals that they are in- 

 debted for those compost heaps to which your let- 

 ter alludes ; though the Chinese also make heaps 

 or rather pits of the mud which they draw up from 

 the bottom of their canals, and into which they 

 throw and pack down straw and weeds, and all 

 kinds of garbage and corruptible matters. These 

 after a while are spread over their fields. Ashes 

 of wood and even of straw, are carefully preserved, 

 and used with the most pains-taking economy — a 

 small handful being put over the exact spot where 

 the vegetable is expected to spring up. Even the 

 hair which the barbers shave off the heads and 

 chins of their customers is used as a manure, and 

 sold for so much a pound. Boys go about the 

 streets with baskets and little rakes, and may he 

 seen gathering out particular sorts of dung (es- 

 pecially that of dogs) for particular purposes, with 

 all the fastidiousness of epicures. Tea leaves are 

 also counted valuable for manuring purposes. 



These, as far as I can recollect, are all the arti- 

 cles used in the parts to which my observation has 

 extended. It may be as well to remark, perhaps, 

 that the plain on which Shanghai stands is one of 

 uncommon extent and fertility, indeed, Mr. For- 

 tune (with whose works on China you are perhaps 

 acquainted) supposes that there is no similar ex- 

 tent of surface upon the face of the earth under 

 such high cultivation — a succession of three crops 

 — beans, wheat and cotton, is sometimes raised on 

 the same land in one year. 



As some compensation for my delay, I will send 

 you by the first convenient opportunity, some na- 

 tive Chinese pictures delineating the successive 

 stages in the raising of tea, rice, silk and cotton. 



It will afford me much gratification to know that 

 I have contributed in any degree to the dissemina- 

 tion of useful knowledge even on such an unsavory 

 subject — adding only this one remark that the 

 Chinese save everything which has a manuring val* 

 ue. I remain, dear sir, very truly yours, 



E. W SVLE. 



The "Native Chinese pictures" alluded toby 

 Mr. Syle, are neatly done up in four volumes, of 

 twenty-four colored paintings each. Their "peru- 

 sal" has afforded me a rare treat, by the artistic 



