Farmers of forty centuries; or, Permanent agriculture in China, Korea and Japan . from the sea between the two mountain islands formingthe highlands of Shantung. On May 22nd we were in the fields north of Kiaochow, some 60miles by rail west from Tsingtao, but within the neutral zoneextending 30 miles back from the high water line of the bay of thesame name. Here the Germans had built a broad macadam roadafter the best European type, but over it were passing the vehiclesof forty centuries ago as seen in Fig. 112. It is doubtful if the 210 IN THE SHANTUNG PROVINCE resistance to travel experience
Farmers of forty centuries; or, Permanent agriculture in China, Korea and Japan . from the sea between the two mountain islands formingthe highlands of Shantung. On May 22nd we were in the fields north of Kiaochow, some 60miles by rail west from Tsingtao, but within the neutral zoneextending 30 miles back from the high water line of the bay of thesame name. Here the Germans had built a broad macadam roadafter the best European type, but over it were passing the vehiclesof forty centuries ago as seen in Fig. 112. It is doubtful if the 210 IN THE SHANTUNG PROVINCE resistance to travel experienced by these men on the better roadis sufficiently less than that on the old paths to convince them thatthe cost of construction and maintenance is worth while untilvehicles and the price of labour change. It may appear strangethat with a nation of so many millions and with so long a history,roads have persisted as little more than beaten footpaths; butmodern methods of transportation remained physical impossi-bilities to every people until the science of the last century opened. Fio. 111. — Field of wheat in Shantung, noaring maturity in a season of unusual drought. the way. Throughout their history the burdens of these peoplehave been carried largely on foot, mostly on the feet of men, andof single men wherever the load could be advantageously have been supplemental burden bearers, but, as with themen, they have carried the load directly on their own feet, themode least disturbed by inequalities of road surface. For adaptability to the worst road conditions no vehicle equalsthe wheelbarrow, progressing by one wheel and two feet. Novehicle is used more in China, if the carrying pole is excepted, andno wheelbarrow in the world permits so high an efficiency of VEHICLES 211 human power as the Chinese, as must be clear from Fig. 27, wherenearly the whole load is balanced on the axle of a high, massivewheel with broad tyre. A shoulder band from the handles of thebar
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectagriculture, bookyear
