308 PLANTS CULTIVATED FOR MANURE. [Cuar. XVI. 
writers inform us, it never for a moment lies idle, 
for such is not the case. 
In the island of Chusan, and over all the rice 
country of Chekiang and Keangsoo, there are two 
plants cultivated in the winter months, almost ex- 
clusively for manure: the one is a species of Coro- 
nilla ; the other is Trefoil, or clover. Large ridges, 
not unlike those on which gardeners grow celery, 
are thrown up on the wet rice fields in the autumn, 
and the seeds of the plants are dropt in, in patches 
at five inches apart, on the surface of the ridges. 
In a few days germination commences, and long 
before the winter is past the tops of the ridges are 
covered with luxuriant herbage. This goes on 
growing until April, when it is necessary to pre- 
pare the ground for the rice. The ridges are then 
levelled, and the manure plants are scattered in a 
fresh state over the surface of the ground. The 
fields are flooded, and the plough and harrow are 
employed to turn up and pulverise the soil. The 
manure, thus scattered over the ground and half- 
buried amongst mud and water, begins to decay 
immediately, and gives out a most disagreeable 
putrid smell. This mode of manuring is generally 
adopted in all the rice lands in this part of 
China, and the young paddy doubtless derives 
strong nourishment from the ammonia given out in 
the decomposition of this fresh manure. 
Fire-wood is so scarce in the country that a great 
portion of the straw, cotton stalks, and grass, which 
would go to manure the fields, is used for firing, 
and, therefore, the plan of growing manure for the 
