18]

There is no one dominant deposit in south China, where red sandstone
and limestone formations are frequent. Cultivation here is not
possible on the high elevations as in the north, but in the plains and
river valleys the soil is exceedingly fertile, while the lower slopes
of the mountains are also cultivated. In the north, moreover, but one
crop, in general, can be raised in the year. In the centre two and
sometimes three crops are raised yearly, and in the south, especially
in the lower basin of the Si-kiang, three crops are normally gathered.
In the north, too, the farmer has frequently to contend with drought
or with rain or floods; in the central and southern regions the
weather is more settled.

Distribution of crops.

In the north of China wheat, barley, millet, buckwheat and maize are
the staple crops. Beans and peas are also cultivated. Rice thrives in
north-east Kan-suh, in some districts of Shan-si, in the extreme south
of Shan-tung and in parts of the Wei-ho plain in Shen-si. Cotton is
grown in Shen-si and Shan-tung. In Kan-suh and Shen-si two crops are
raised in favoured localities, cereals in spring and cotton or rice in
summer. Tobacco and the poppy are also grown in several of the
northern provinces. Rhubarb and fruit trees are largely cultivated in
the western part of north China.

In the central provinces tea, cotton, rice and ramie fibre are the
chief crops. Tea is most largely cultivated in Ngan-hui, Kiang-si,
Hu-peh, Hu-nan, Sze-ch'uen and Yun-nan. Cotton is chiefly grown in
Kiang-su, Ngan-hui and Hu-peh. The seed is sown in May and the crops
gathered in September. The cotton is known as white and yellow, the
white variety being the better and the most cultivated. The poppy is
largely cultivated and, in connexion with the silk industry, the
mulberry tree. The mulberry is found principally in the provinces of
Sze-ch'uen, Kiang-su and Cheh-kiang. The central provinces are also
noted for their gum-lac, varnish and tallow trees.

The crops of the south-eastern provinces are much the same as those of
the central provinces, but are predominantly rice, the sugar-cane,
ground-nuts and cinnamon. Tea is the chief crop in Fu-kien. The
sugar-cane is principally cultivated in Kwang-tung, Fu-kien and
Sze-ch'uen. In the south-western provinces the poppy, tea, tobacco and
rice are the chief crops. Wheat, maize and barley are also