THE PASSING OF MONGOLIAN MYSTERY 177 



than our north China landscape when frost has stripped 

 away the green clothing of its hills and fields? 



The Chinese have already demonstrated the agricul- 

 tural possibilities in the south and every year they reap 

 a splendid harvest of oats, wheat, millet, buckwheat and 

 potatoes. On the grass-covered meadowlands, both 

 north and south of the Gobi, there are vast herds of 

 sheep, goats, cattle and horses, but they are only a 

 fraction of the numbers which the pasturage could sup- 

 port. The cattle and sheep which are exported through 

 China can be sent to Kalgan "on the hoof," for since 

 grass is plentiful, the animals can graze at night and 

 travel during the day. This very materially reduces the 

 cost of transportation. 



Besides the great quantities of beef and mutton which 

 could be raised and marketed in the Orient, America 

 or Europe, thousands of pounds of wool and camel hair 

 could be exported. Of course both of these articles are 

 produced at the present time, but only in limited quanti- 

 ties. In the region where we spent the summer, the 

 Mongols sometimes do not shear their sheep or camels 

 but gather the wool from the ground when it has 

 dropped off in the natural process of shedding. Prob- 

 ably half of it is lost, and the remainder is full of dirt 

 and grass which detracts greatly from its value. More- 

 over, when it is shipped the impurities add at least 

 twenty per cent to its weight, and the high cost of trans- 

 portation makes this an important factor. Indeed, 

 under proper development the pastoral resources of 

 Mongolia are almost unlimited. 



