1969-01-11 — Page 15

FERENCE LIBRARY

11 JAN 1969

六期星

日一十月二十年九六九一屉公年七十五國民中

育教傿華 TM 夏三第張四第三日三十月二十年申戊厭复 WAH CITYAT HALL報日橋

pigs and chickens as sidelines with some

育僑華

specializing more and mode. Both pigs and chickena raised locally are of better quality than those

1969FU

地理科

GEOGRAPHY (10)

劉玉領

17. Write an account of farming in the New Territories. dealing particularly with the following points: (a) areas suitable for cultivation (b) size of farms, (c) utilization of these cultivable lands, (d) transportation of crops to markets and (a) recent trends of development,

Ans.

(a) Due to the hilly terrain of the Colony, the arable lands are mainly found in plains and valleys below the 50 metre contour, occupying about 12.9% of the total land surface. Inese arable lands lie largely in the northwestern part of the Colony, consisting of the Yuen Long Plain and the Fahling- Sheung Shui Basin. These make up 70% of the arable lands in Hong Kong. Other areas are Tai Po, Shatin, Sai Kung, Mul Wo, Puf 0, Tung Chung Valley and other Small pockets along the coastline. In recent year the area under arable land is being reduced each year. This is because of the great demand for land to build roads, houses, reservoirs and Factories,

It is also surprising to find that in 1962 there were 1790 acres of abandoned land, mainly in the north and east of the New Territories. This land has been abandoned for many reasons, but the main ones are distance from the roads and ferry routes, lack of water and the attraction of city life.

(b) Since lowland is so limited on a large scale, the arable lands are very intensively used, with the growing population, the ratio of persons to the area of cultivated land in Hong Kong is very high indeed, and the farm size compared with those of other Asian countries is one of the smallest the average farm size per family is about 1 to 2 acres only or 12 dan chung. 41 dan chung - 1/6 acre) Under intensive, farming every bit of land e.g, the edge of farms and the land between two fields is also used for growing crops, sometimes, the hilly terrain together with the small size of fields restrict the use of rechinery, so very simple implements like iron ploughs, harrows, sickles with wooden handles are used while most of the farm work 1s done by manual labou

(e) The arable lands in Hong Kong are mainly used for growing padi, vegetables, other field crops, fruits, and flowers,

Fedt:

A) Fresh-water padi

Usually these fields are double-cropped and if the land is fertile, a winter crop of vegetables or flowers may be raised. The first crop is sown in March and harvested in mid-June“, and the second crop is transplanted soon afterwards and harvested in late Uctober or ear. Movember.

brackish water padi

These padi fields are recently reclaimed from the salt-water coastal swamps along the coast of Deep Day. Since the soil is more saline, the rice takes a longer time to grow, so only one crop a year is possible)

(C) Upland padi

This is grown on terraced slopes in the northern part of the New Territories and one crop is produced a year.

Vegetables

Vegetable growingis the most intensive type farming in Hong Kong and it is usually practised around the city's periphery and near the major communication lines. Six to eight crops are harvested annually. The important producing centres are Shatin, Tai Po, Lam Tsuen, Fanling,. Sheung Shui, Yuan Long, Mui họ. Tung Chung. The main crops are white cabbage, flowering cabbage, turnip, leaf mustard, chinese kale, chinese letluce tomato, water spinach, string bean, watercress, cucumber, cauliflower.

In recent years, statisfies reveal that there is a continued decrease in areas used for 2-crop paddy and an increasing expansion in areas for vegetables. This is because it gives the farmers a better and more steady return since the dense population already forms a ready market and efficient road and rail transports have been made. available to them.

Other field crops

Thess. Include sweet potato, peanut, sugar cane, arrowheads, waterchestnut, lotus root, chestnut and flowers (for urban areas). Fruits

Fruit growing is not very important, it commantis a good and relatively stable price, with considerable scope for expansion. The chief fruits are wong pal, lung ngan, lemon, orange, tangerine, Japanese apricot, guava, papaya, lychee and pineapple The importance of fruit growing is to make use of the marginal land which can be developed into cultivated land with sufficient efforts and to help to prevent soil erosion especially on hillslopes. Both rice growers and market-gardeners raise

imported and, therefore their market prices are steady, Sometimes they have to face the problems like fluctuation in market price and animal epidemics, This branch of farming is present ma along the road between Yuen Long and Castle Peak.

(d) The crops, mostly vegetables, are transported to the markets through cooperative societies, wrichte are established with Government's assistance. There is a number of depots (collecting stations) establi shed along the highway of the important vegetable- growing areas. The farmers take their produce in baskets to these centres and receive a receipt showing the weight and standard of the delivery. From these depots, there are large Government-owned trucks carrying the vegetables to the wholesale market where the vegetables are sold to buyers on mutually agreed prices..

(*) Looking at farming activities as a whole, despite the fact that there is a decrease in the area of arable land, which is being converted into residential and industrial uses, the agricultural production is Hong Kong has increased in recent years through better methods of farming, tre increasing use of chemical fertilizers, and better irrigation schemes introduced and encouraged by the Government Department of Agriculture, Fishing and forestry and by private organisation like the Kadooria Agricultural Aid Association. Within recent years, more and more land has been used for all-year-round market-gardening and animal husbandry though these are still restricted to those areas bordering the road and rail and these tendencies tend to continue."

Aris

DISTRIBUTION

ARABLE LAND IN HONG KONG

ARABLE, LAND

Describe the fishing industry under the following headings:

(a) factors favourable for the industry

(b) methods of fishing

(c) fishing centres.

(d) other branches of fishing activities besides

sea-fishing

(a) Factors favourable for the industry

1. The continental shelf of south China forma the fishing grounds. In the shallow water of the South China Sea, the growth of plankton which is the food for fish is encouraged as sun's light can penetrate into the water easily. 2. There are many sheltered bays and inlets which provide good anchorage for fishing boats, 3. The dense population of Hong Kong not only provides sufficient labour for the industries

but also forms the ready market,

4. There is limited agricultural land in Hong Kong and thus they have to turn to the sea for more food supply and for employment.

•FRIKING GROUNDS OFF THE COAST OF HONG KONG

AINAN

TELAND

(b) Fishing Methods

CHINA 52

MY FISHING GROUNDS

SOUTH

19 Trawling This is done by two trawlers

each drawing one end of the net with it. The trawl which is the bag-like net is dragged along the bottom of the sea. This method is used to catch demersal fish (fish swimming near the sea bed), Seining -The net is suspended vertically in water and dragged along in a circle very slowly. At night the boats carry bright lights in order to attract the fish. After the fish have been surrounded by the net, the bottom of net is closed and the fish caught.

Gill netling- A gill net is a long rectangular net suspended vertically in water, with one end fixed to a float and one end to a sampan. Fish are caught as they swim into the net and get caught by their gillo

Lining

(a) Long-lining- This is done by large

junks further out at sea. The lines have hundreds of hooks on them. They are also

weighted so that they will sink to the

40s bed, The lines are pulled up at regular intervals.

(b) Hand-lining - This is simply to use

hooks, lines and bates to catch fish. Filling Methods Practised in Hong Kong

TRANHLING

LONG LINING

tocks

TRANI NET

Aliasz Sminista

GILL NETTING

NEY

6

PULSE LINE O

NRIGER

(a) Fishing centres

Since the prevailing winds in Hong Kong are from the east, the fishing ports are therefore located on the sheltered westem side of the islands and peninsulas of Hong Kong. The main fishing ports on Hong Kong Island are at Aberdeen, and Shaukiwan. The others are at Castle Peak, Tai Po Market, Kat 0 Island, Tap Mung Sha Tau Kök, Sai Kung, Tai 0, and Cheung Chau..

ISHING

PORTS

HOMG

CASTLE PEAK

KUNG

Other branches of fishing activities besides sea-fishing

Pond fishing which is becoming increasingly important is practised along the Leep Bay coastline between Yuen Long and Lok Ma Chau. The total pond fish production per year is estimated to represent about 1.4% of the local consumption of pond fish. The most important species reared are grey mullet, silver carp, grass carp, mud carp, common carp, edible gold- fish and bréan, a m

Another branch of fishing activities is oyster Farming. The principal areas of cultivation is Deep bay, Some of this is processed into dried meat or oyster juice and exported to markets overseas.

Both pond-fishing and oyster culture are controlled by weather to a considerable extent. Severe typhoons and flood may break the pond embankment and the fish carried away. A sudden though slight elimatic change can also do damage; for example, sudden showers in summer will lower the temperature of the water suddenly and this will cause the fish to die. After heavy rainfall, decaying matter which is washed Into the pond will also kill the fish, with oysters, after heavy rainfall and typhoons, the oysters may be covered with heavy silt. Depriving of oxygen and food, the oysters die.

Oysters are also cultivated for their pearls. These oyster beds are found in the Tolo Channel area and in Port Shelter, am in Double Haven.

Questions for next week:

19. (a) Describe and explain the nature of Hong Kong

imports and exports,

(b) Explain why it is that light iniustries are

more important than heavy industries in Hong Kong.

In what ways do you think that Taiwan nas bright future for industrial development?

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