Farmers of forty centuries; or, Permanent agriculture in China, Korea and Japan . abeth Blakehospital, near Soochow, insisted that the Chinese were deliberateforesters and that they regularly grow trees for fuel, transplantingthem when necessary to secure a close and early stand, after thearea had been cleared, we were so much surprised that he gener-ously volunteered to accompany us westward on a two daysjourney into the hill country where the practice could be family owning a houseboat and living upon it was engagedfor the journey. This family consisted of a recently widowed LOANS AND
Farmers of forty centuries; or, Permanent agriculture in China, Korea and Japan . abeth Blakehospital, near Soochow, insisted that the Chinese were deliberateforesters and that they regularly grow trees for fuel, transplantingthem when necessary to secure a close and early stand, after thearea had been cleared, we were so much surprised that he gener-ously volunteered to accompany us westward on a two daysjourney into the hill country where the practice could be family owning a houseboat and living upon it was engagedfor the journey. This family consisted of a recently widowed LOANS AND INTEREST 135 father, his two sons, newly married, and a helper. They were totransport us and provide sleeping quarters for myself, Mr. Hadenand a cook for the consideration of $300, Mexican, per day andto continue the journey through the night, leaving the day forobservation in the hills. The recent funeral had cost the father $100 Mex., the weddingof the two sons $50 each, while the remodelling of the house-boatto meet the needs of the new family relations cost still another. Fio. 05. —Pine bougli fuel nomine into Tsint/tiio imni tlic Sijiuili $100. To meet these expenses it had been necessary to borrowthe full amount, $300. On $100 the father was paying 20 percent interest; on $50 he was compelled to pay 50 per cent balance he had borrowed from friends without interest butwith the understanding that he would return the favour shouldoccasion be required. Rev. A. E. Evans informed us that it is a common practice inChina for neighbours to help one another in times of great financialstress. This is one of the methods: A neighbour may need 8,000cash. He prepares a feast and sends invitations to a hundred 136 THE FUEL PKOBLEM friends. They know there has been no death in his family andthat there is no wedding, still it is understood that he is in need ofmoney. The feast is prepared at a small expense, the invitedguests come, each bringing eighty cash as a present. T
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