NOTES AND QUERIES
167
sufficient water. The bottom of a padi field has an impervious layer of clay with a loamy layer of earth above it.
None of this work is done without first consulting a book called the Tung Shing(a) or Tung Shu(b), the “Universal Book". This is the Chinese "Old Moore's Almanack", except that the Tung Shing does not prophesy world events but merely lists the day-to-day signs which indicate when a field should be ploughed, which are good days to wash hair, or when to conclude a contract, dig a well or plant fields. The book also lists the lucky hours of each day during which these events should be performed.
The lucky day and hour having arrived, the village womenfolk turn out with flat hoes and baskets. With the hoe, clumps of padi sprouts six to eight inches long are lifted from the nursery, placed in the baskets and carried to the padi field. If the field is first-grade land, then the clumps of padi seedlings are planted by pressing them into the mud in fairly thick clumps, about eight inches between clumps and in nearly straight lines. Should the land be rated as second-class, then the clumps are not so thick, although the spacing is about the same. In consequence, if one tau of seed was planted in the nursery, then by transplanting the sprouts into first-class padi land, a lesser area is required to grow that tau of seed than if it was transplanted into second-class padi land. However, in each case, the area of land required to grow the tau of seed is still called a tau chung. To the European mind, this method of land measurement is confusing, but regardless of these differing factors, the tau chung is the area on which tenant rentals are fixed, agreed, and paid.
To standardise these variants and to arrive at a reasonable basis on which to fix statistical information in the Colony, the Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry related the tau chung to the acre by declaring (about 1950) that in future, six tau chung would be considered as one acre. For most areas of the New Territories, this is accepted as a fair rate, being generally in line with old custom. Under this calculation, the tau chung becomes equivalent to 7,260 square feet.
It was then found that on the southeastern portion of the New Territories, a different type of measure was used, which reduced the tau chung from 7,260 square feet to 4,365 square feet. The various villages and areas which used this smaller
NOTES AND QUERIES
167
sufficient water. The bottom of a padi field has an impervious layer of clay with a loamy layer of earth above it.
None of this work is done without first consulting a book called the Tung Shing (a) or Tung Shu (L) the “Universal Book". This is the Chinese "Old Moore's Almanack", except that the Tung Shing does not prophesy world events but merely lists the day to day signs which indicate when a field should be ploughed, which are good days to wash hair, or when to conclude a contract, dig a well or plant fields. The book also lists the lucky hours of each day during which these events should be performed.
The lucky day and hour having arrived, the village womenfolk turn out with flat hoes and baskets. With the hoe, clumps of padi sprouts six to eight inches long are lifted from the nursery, placed in the baskets and carried to the padi field. If the field is first grade land then the clumps of padi seedlings are planted by pressing them into the mud in fairly thick clumps, about eight inches between clumps and in nearly straight lines. Should the land be rated as second class then the clumps are not so thick. although the spacing is about the same. In consequence, if one tau of seed was planted in the nursery then by transplanting the sprouts into first class padi land a lesser area is required to grow that rau of seed than if it was transplanted into second class padi land. However, in each case the area of land required to grow the tau of seed is still called a tau chung. To the European mind, this method of land measurement is confusing but regardless of these differing factors the tau chung is the area on which tenant rentals are fixed, agreed and paid.
To standardise these variants and to arrive at a reasonable basis on which to fix statistical information in the Colony, the Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry related the tau chung to the acre by declaring (about 1950) that in future six tau chung would be considered as one acre. For most areas of the New Territories this is accepted as a fair rate, being generally in line with old custom. Under this calculation the tau chung becomes equivalent to 7,260 square feet.
It was then found that on the southeastern portion of the New Territories a different type of measure was used which reduced the tau chung from 7,260 square feet to 4,365 square feet. The various villages and areas which used this smaller
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