Ui:\ [BW8 OF RECENT BOOKS 



Lee refers to the paradox of Chinese Agriculture, viz:— 

 the Chinese have been successful farmers for forty centuries, 

 the soil appears to be as productive as ever. She claims that 

 Western countries the yield is only fifteen bushels to the 

 in China on the average twenty-five bushels to the acre, 

 and vet this is not enough to supply the food needs of the people. 

 i, of course, is that there are too many people and too little 

 land. She says that China's soil is maintaining her four hundred 

 million! but in a desperate way. Notwithstanding every device 

 which has been drawn to their aid, their farmers barely eke out an 

 China is indeed known as the "special home of hunger." 

 What is the solution? Our author says more land is the only solution. 

 Bui where is it to be got Probably only by more intensive cultiva- 

 tor actual amount of land which exists, supplemented by a 

 reclamation of marshes, especially near the sea. If any nation could 

 be justified in having earth-hunger, surely China is, but, alas, there 

 -us so little to satisfy her hunger. Other nations are erecting 

 barriers against her even in portions of the earth that are practically 

 virgin Boil. In the early days there was plenty of land, as for 

 imple, was the case in Canada. This land is becoming gradually 

 filled up. I'nfortunately the land in China has become more than 

 filled, and the population is simply spilling over into other countries. 



Our author gives due credit to the Manchus for the improvements 

 they introduced in agriculture in the early days although 

 towards the end these things were, of course, sadly neglected. She 

 is also impartial enough to give credit to the Japanese for having 

 imi improved agriculture in Korea. When she comes to speak 



oi the Republic she says that the Republic has introduced no improve- 

 in the condition of the farmers. She refers at length to the 

 famine of recent date in North China, and dwells upon the 

 ble condition of the farming population. She is able to intro- 

 luce some interesting parallels with the Roman Empire, especially in 

 its decadence, and to show that agrarian discontent had very much 

 with changes of dynasty in her own Country. She claims that 

 China the latifundia which were the curse of Rome were put 

 down by the Government with a strong hand. The result is that we 

 mail tanners owning their own land all over the Country. She 

 her work as follows :— "All that improvements in methods 

 Itivatioh and the counteracting of the effect of natural disasters 

 mplish is of a palliative character, simply postponing the 

 unless We solve the problem of over-population or pro- 

 vide through the development of manufactures or otherwise a needed 



