ENG-1954 — Page 82

HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT, 1954

Both vegetable and rice farmers raise some chickens and pigs and in some places the raising of ducks is increasing, particularly in the areas of brackish water paddy. The general picture is one of clean and inten- sive cultivation of rice and vegetables as the basic crops with the farmers seizing any opportunity to speculate on such sidelines as were profitable in the previous

season.

Farming Techniques. The primitive farm ploughs and harrows give excellent service and there is nothing to be gained by adopting costly western tractors and implements. Fields are no bigger than a tennis court. The working up of tilth by Chinese farmers is not very different from western methods, but, for reasons of economy of land in small holdings, it is not possible to alternate crop and animal husbandry or even rotate crops or prolong a long fallow period to maintain fertility. Artificial fertilizers are used when they can be afforded and are growing in popularity. On the whole, however, the Chinese farmers rely on traditional fertilizers such as nightsoil, bone meal, ashes, duck feathers, meal cakes and dried pulverized animal Not all the land is worked up for catch crop- ping following the second rice crop and in some localities the land is spelled a little by adopting a form of land rotation for the area under catch crops. Where agricul- tural land must be cultivated intensively the maintenance of fertility on naturally poor soils depends upon the use of compost, nightsoil, organic fertilizers and greater use of artificial fertilizers.

manure.

Crops. A narrow range of crops is cultivated in the New Territories for subsistence and cash. Markets exist in the urban areas for farm surpluses, and

60