Extracts "from Travels in China. 



duty is likewise laid on goods passing from one province to 

 another. 



Near Sanchoo wheat was perceived growing for the 

 first time by the present travellers, it was about two inches 

 above the ground, and though on a dry sandy soil where no 

 rain had fallen for three months, looked remarkably well. 

 It was very neatly sown in drills or dibbled, according to 

 the method used of late in some parts of England ; that of 

 scattering the seed by broadcast, which on very few acci- 

 dental occasions only is ever practised by the Chinese, has 

 been found by theni to be attended with a considerable loss 

 of seed as well as diminution of the crop, which when such 

 a method is used, is apt to grow in clusters while other 

 parts are scarcely covered. The drill method serves like- 

 wise to employ the women and children, for which little 

 strength is required, A gentleman of the embassy calcu- 

 lated that the saving of the seed alone in China in this 

 drill husbandry, which would be lost in that of broadcast, 

 wouM be sufficient to maintain all the European subjects of 

 Great Britain. 



In the Province of Shan-tung were seen growing small 

 plantations of tobacco, but more of the annual cotton plant. 

 The cotton forms much of the cultivation of this and the 

 adjoining southern Province of Kiang-nan nor is it much 

 neglected in those places to the northward, where the pods 

 can be carried to perfection before the severe frosts set in. 

 It is not uncommon for the cultivator to lop off the tops of 

 the cotton leaves in order to increase the number of pods and 

 hasten their production. 



In the vicinity of the River Luen and the larger lakes 

 adjacent, we first met with the Leutze or famed fishing bird 

 of China, which is instructed in the art or practice of sup- 



