574 Foreign Notices : — China. 



young mule belonging to him, who would suffer no person to handle him. 

 Mr. Clayton fastened him in a stable, and, after considerable trouble, suc- 

 ceeded in breathing several times in his nostrils. Before he left the stable 

 the mule became gentle, and would stand still and suffer himself to be rubbed, 

 and would nose and smell around him. He followed Mr. Clayton out of the 

 stable, around the yard, and wanted to go into the house. We advise our 

 friends who have colts to break to try the experiment; if it does no good, it 

 can certainly do no harm." (Stamford Mercury, as quoted in Mom. Chron. 

 October 8. 1842.) 



Art. II. Foreign Notices. 



CHINA. 



Manure among the Chinese. — In arranging the various classes of the 

 people, the Chinese place the literati in the foremost rank, as learning is with 

 them the stepping-stone to honour ; but, immediately after the learned, the 

 husbandman takes the precedence of all others, because, being engaged in 

 raising the necessaries of life, he is abundantly more important than the 

 mechanic, who merely changes the form of matter, and the merchant, who 

 originates nothing, but only barters and exchanges commodities for the sake 

 of gain. This honour put upon agricultural employments is evidently the 

 result of design ; and shows that the country, being overstocked with in- 

 habitants, needs cultivating to its utmost extent, in order to provide the 

 people with sustenance. The industry and skill of the Chinese, striving to 

 produce as many of the necessaries of life as possible, would also argue 

 a dense population, ever struggling against threatening want, and compelled 

 to exert themselves for their daily bread. In tropical climates, where the 

 ground is fertile and the population scanty, the natives find that by a few 

 months' labour they can produce sufficient food for a whole year's con- 

 sumption ; and are, therefore, indisposed to exert themselves further : but 

 in China the inhabitants are incessantly employed; and every individual 

 is obliged to be busy in contributing his quota to the commonweal. Every 

 one in the least acquainted with the manners of the Chinese knows that 

 they are untiring in their exertions to maintain themselves and families. 

 In the business of agriculture they are more particularly active ; raising two 

 crops from the ground every year, extending their cultivation, and bringing 

 the most unpromising spots into use, in order that nothing may be lost. 

 Their skill in effecting these objects is not, considering their few advantages, 

 contemptible. They thoroughly understand the importance of varying the 

 crops ; they know perfectly well the seasons and soils adapted for certain 

 productions; and they are fully sensible of the importance of manuring the 

 ground, in order to maintain its fertility. A stranger is struck with this on 

 first setting his foot on the shores of China. Most individuals met in the 

 paths of the fields are provided with a basket and rake ; and every evening the 

 cottager brings home a certain quantity to add to the dung-heap, which is a 

 most important appendage to every dwelling. Having but few sheep and 

 cattle, they are obliged to make the most of the stercoraceous stock of man 

 and swine. This is carefully collected, and actually sold at so much per 

 pound ; while whole strings of scavengers may be seen cheerily posting into 

 the country every successive morning with their envied acquisitions; little 

 heeding the olfactory nerves of the less interested passengers. Every other 

 substance likely to answer the end is anxiously collected, and carefully 

 disposed, so as to provide for future exigencies ; such as decayed animal and 

 vegetable matter, the sweeping of streets, the mud of canals, burnt bones, 

 lime; and, what is not a little singular, the short stumpy hair, shaven from 

 millions of heads every ten days, is industriously gathered, and sold for 



