By John Livingstone, Esq. 53 



Lime is employed chiefly for the purpose of destroying 

 insects, but the Chinese are also aware of its fertilizing pro- 

 perties. 



For Horticultural purposes the Chinese may be said ra- 

 ther to manure the plant than the soil. The nature of the 

 climate in the southern part of the empire seems to justify fully 

 this very laborious but economical practice. Rain commonly 

 falls in such quantities and force as to wash away all the so- 

 luble part of the soil, and the manure on which its fertility is 

 supposed to depend, and this often appears to be so effectually 

 done, that nothing meets the eye but sand and small stones. 

 It is therefore proper that the Chinese husbandman should re- 

 serve the necessary nourishment of the plant to be applied at 

 the proper time. For this purpose reservoirs of the requisite 

 dimensions are constructed at the corner of every field, or 

 other convenient places. 



With the seed or young plant its proper manure is inva- 

 riably applied. It is then carefully watered in dry weather 

 night and morning, very often with the black stagnant con- 

 tents of the common sewer ; as the plants advance in growth 

 the manure is changed, in some instances more than once, till 

 their advance towards maturity makes any further application 

 unnecessary. 



I now proceed to mention a few of the vegetables which 

 are grown in the method I have described, for the same pur- 

 poses as plants of a similar nature are cultivated in the gar- 

 dens of Europe. 



1st. The Chinese produce in the greatest abundance, during 

 the hot months, in trenches filled with water, the Convolvulus 



