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outside  food  supply,  as  they  create  around  them  immense  areas 
of  wonderfully  productive  land  sufficient  for  their  own  support. 
If  this  be  true  the  ultimate  overpopulation  of  the  globe  must  be 
deferred  to  a time  more  remote  than  that  generally  accorded  it  by 
current  opinion.  In  view  of  the  general  movement  towards  con- 
servation of  resources  throughout  the  world  it  would  be  well  if 
other  countries  devoted  thought  tO'  what  China  is  doing  with  re- 
gard to  the  conservation  of  soil  fertility. 
SHANGHAI. 
In  the  neighborhood  of  Shanghai  much  cotton  is  grown,  but  it 
is  of  inferior  yield  and  poor  quality.  As  land  and  labor  are  both 
cheap  a small  profit  is,  however,  made.  The  seed  is  here  sown 
IMPERIAL  EXPERIMENT  STATION,  JAPAN 
broadcast  and  the  plants  are  set  in  narrow  beds  from  six  to 
twelve  inches  apart. 
The  chief  agricultural  region  of  Central  China  is  situated  around 
Hangkow,  which  unfortunately  at  the  time  of  visit  was  inac- 
cessible on  account  of  heavy  floods,  which  in  some  cases  reached  a 
depth  of  forty  feet.  In  consequence  of  this  misfortune  an  enquiry 
at  first  hand  into  the  agricultural  conditions  of  this  wealthy  region 
had  to  be  abandoned. 
CHINESE  AGRICULTURAL  METHODS. 
In  general  the  land  holdings  throughout  China  are  small  but 
very  highly  cultivated.  The  vast  majority  of  agricultural  land  is 
cut  up  into  small  parcels  of  from  a fraction  of  an  acre  to  two  or 
three  acres  in  extent.  The  most  antiquated  tools  are  used  and 
