CHINESE MARKET GARDENING.

[NZBC]

We have been taking a look at the 'Chinese market gardens in the neighbour"hood of Dunedin, with a view of ascertaining the merits of the Mongolian system of growing vegetable ' As far as our observations have extended, the practice of 'these gardeners appears to be'precisely similar. They seem to be. good-4iidges of soil, selecting only the richest land; deepest loam, and they are always be careful in having a' supply of water at hand. Having selected good land, fine facilities , for obtaining a supply .of water; to be used at all seasons, the next desideratum, no matter how rich the ground may be, is an abundant supply of manure. ' John- obtains this on easy. terms. His cart which brings vegetables to -market never returns empty. It is loaded with the finest stable manure, for .which he. pays nothing. He has only the job of loading and unloading, and in loading he is at times assisted by the stable man, who is glad to get rid of a| nuisanoe.' This , manure, . when not required for immediate use, is heaped in-the gardenand holes being made around; every drop of the drainage, after a heavy rain, is made use of to push on the growth of rhubarb, lettuce, cauli radishes, or other crops requiring a stimulant. It appears that most of the Ohinamen who could speak English, and from whom information might have been obtained, have left for China, having made what they consider fortunes, some intending to return to make another haul, but most of them to remain. We visited three or four gardens but there was only one at which we found a man " who could speak a fewwords Leong Foy- was his name. He anmd 5 or 6 partners, most of whom worked in the garden, had leased five acres from Mr Anderson at Caversham, which they had held for two years. The land is level, and the soil is a deep free loam, with a small stream running through it. Every inch of the five acres was under crop. There was more ground under cauliflowers than any other vegetable, and they were of fine growth and in promising condition. Great attention appeared to be given to celery, which, was planted three rows in a trench, and managed after the system adopted by English gardeners. There were large quantities of cabbages, spinach, onions, parsnip's, turnips,leeks, lettuces, radishes, peas, beans, and some red cabbages and culinary' herbs. They also grow hemp and canary seed, and appear to understand that a root crop should be followed by a seed. crop. There were large piles of manure, from the Dunedin and Oaversham cow-houses and stables, which is apparently used when required, whether rotted or not. There was no sign of a spade about the places we visited, but we noticed long-handled shovels, hoes, and three-pronged forks, with which they break up the ground. Fresh manure, broken up into fine particles, was being spread over the ground, from which peas, celery and other crops had just been gathered, to be dug immediately and siwen with onions. John was well aware of .the fact that April is the best month for sowing onions. As soon aa one orop is gathered, no matter what the season may be, another is put in, even although its success may be very doubtful, the great object being to have a supply for all seasons, 1 and especially to be first in the market. John believes in missing no chance, and he knows how to charge when an article is scarce. He never allows a piece of ground to lie idle ; his main reliance being upon constant stirring of t^e|, ground, weeding, and plenty of manure, and water. Weeds are never allowed to get. a foothold. They are destroyed when young, and the plants are most carefully thinned out, their growth never being checked by dry weather. Two large watering-pots or kerosene tins converted into pots, slung a five-foot pole, are carried round on a trot, morning, noon, and night, whenever the earth becomes dry. No matter whether the sun shines or not, if the ground is dry it must be drenched with water. When the ground is prepared for seed, it must be watered; the seed before being sown is soaked, and the ground, when it is sown, receives a soaking. If the weather is very hot the seed beds are B\shaded. John never bothers his mind about religion or politics. All his thoughts are centred upon his work, the sole object being to accumulate enough to enable him to
return to his family and friends in China. The Chinese system is one of forcing, and the vegetables grown by them have neither the substance nor the flavour of those grown by a more natural process. For lettuces, radishes, and others, the system of constantly watering is no doubt an effective one, but for other kinds again it certainly is not so good, and it is a notorious fact that Chinese cabbages contain instead of sugar and starch an undue proportion of moisture. The strong points in Chinese gardening, then, are constant watering and manuring and continual stirring of the soil. This system is, no doubt, the result of a much older experience in the culture of the soil than that of Europeans, and we maintain that with all our science and socalled civilisation, we have something to learn from the heathen. The Chinamen have beaten our London market gardeners in these Colonies, and the question arises, are they to be allowed to starve the Europeans out, and monopolise the whole field 1 They have been successful here. They have made large sums of money, which they have carried off to enrich their own country, and they will make more still. We hear that some of them now are leasing rich flat soil — for they will have none but the very best — for countrymen who are yet to arrive. An effort should be made, wethink, to perform the work .which they ; doat much less expense. By vising ploughs, windmills, and other improved contrivances for saving labour, and by watering, manuring, and cultivating as they do, they may, we should think, be driven out of the field, or at all events, be prevented from, monopolising the market garden business. Otago Witness, Issue 1383, 1 June 1878, Page 21