Cuar. XVI] TERRACE CULTIVATION. 301 
animal of some kind, generally a buffalo or bullock. 
The rice lands are kept flooded in this way until 
the crops are nearly ripe, when the water is no 
longer necessary. It is also necessary, or at least 
advantageous, to go over the ground once or twice 
during the summer, and stir the soil up well 
amongst the roots, at the same time removing any 
weeds which may have sprung up. If the weather 
is wet, the fields retain the water for a considerable 
time, and then it is not an uncommon sight to see 
the natives wading nearly up to the knees in mud 
and water, when they are gathering in the harvest. 
When ripe, the crops are cut with a small instru- 
ment, not very unlike our own reaping-hook, and 
are generally thrashed out at once in the fields 
where they have grown. Sometimes, however, and 
more particularly in the north, the paddy is tied 
up in sheaves, and carried home before it is 
thrashed ; indeed every thing in the northern agri- 
culture of the Chinese has a great resemblance to 
what is practised in Europe. 
The terrace cultivation of China has been noticed 
by nearly all writers upon this country, and, like 
most other subjects, it has been either much ex- 
ageerated or undervalued. It appeared to me to 
be carried to the greatest perfection on the hill 
sides adjacent to the river Min near Foo-chow-foo ; 
at least I was more struck with it there than any 
where else. On sailing up that beautiful river, 
these terraces look like steps on the sides of the 
mountains, one rising above another, until they 
sometimes reach six or eight hundred feet above 
