112

EXPEDITION TO JAPAN.

Figure 12, plate 1, represents the hoe for breaking up hard ground. It resembles more our

pick-axe than gardon-lioe, though much broader and thinner than the former. This serves

the purpose of the spado with us. The ground is afterwards broken up and mellowed by a

hand-rake which has four long curved prongs. (See fig, 2, plate 1.)

The winnowing machine in common use in China is a fac-simile of that hand-machine used

in our southern States ; and the questio'n arises, is it original with the Chinese or adopted ?

(See fig. 1, plate 1.) ’ F

The threshing is sometimes conducted in the field at harvest-time, and also at the farm-house

upon cement floors, with bamboo flails. ’

Ilarvest-time in China , as elsewhere, is one of rejoicing. Men, women, and children all aid

m this necessary or pleasant operation ; and chickens and other domestic fowls follow them to

(he fields to .pick up the loose grain that falls to the ground. The reaping of rice is performed

with a small reaping-hook, or sickle, which is serrated on its cutting edge. The scythe seems

to lie unknown to the Celestials. Figure 13, plate 1, represents the sickle

Tho 01.in«,e are exceedingly ingenious in their contrivance, for raising water for irrigating

ttar fie d, . The chom-pump arrangement predominates, though various other

and method, are m use among them. Of tire chain-pump there are three kinds or modification,

of the same prmciple. Ono of these operated by animal-power, the other two by man-power.

The first is provided with a mechanism precisely the same +n nil r ,

, . ... „ ,. 1 * ut same > t( > all intents and purposes, as tho

horse-power in use with our farmers tor accelerating tho ’

r a . ., . . aerating the speed of power tor threshing, hulling

corn, and various other agricultural purposes Thin „ , . . °

, ’ ., • n , . ° , . 1 J ' 11118 P iecoof machinery is probably as old as

husbandry itseli m China , and shows that those nomih. ,

. , , . , °so people wero early acquainted with the fact

that power and speed vary inversely, or that power or timn in

, . r i , y. ’ . * tr or time is gamed according as the moving

force is applied near or remote from the axis of a wheel Pinto o r „ b

i • .,i ,i i • ,, , . i. t late 2 represents one of these ma-

chines, with the cham-pump attached. The pumn consintn wT , i n ,

, , , , *>uuip consists ot a hollow trunk formed nf hoards

having at each end a short axle provided with cogs, over which nn n n • , ’

• pi i j. , mi b ’ "uicn an endless chain, having a

series of buckets upon it, passes. The trough is placed in .. . b

, • , m, . . ; piaceo. in an inclined position, with one end in

the wator to be raised. The upper axle being put in motion l w . ,

i- /,.,•! l 0 lon connexion with the power

machine, (which is placed on the bank of the canal rivor i , 1

,, n , . anal) nver > or poml, and operated by a buffalo

yoked thereto,) causes the endless chain to rotate Th« , ... J

, i y- + i * ir i . " buckets retain tho water, and raise it

to the end of the trough, from whence it flows on to the field

The second description of chain-pump is worked l™ „

mill, witli tho foot. Tho upper axle of tL omlL,, XL T 6 a d^cription of troad-

on either side of the trunk, and provided with short radiotit,** to * lol “ s

action of tho foot. A rotary motion i. thus oommuuioaW h ’ .TT W ' ” ^

of buckets. (See plate 3.) Tho other description\ , “ r‘“"

upper ado of tho chain-pump by hand-power. 7 1 °'“ k ,n tb “ “ d ° f «*»

Bread is an article of food unknown in China. Rice i« +p,

flour required for the making of pastry is produced usually by the aid 1 ’‘f

though rude mills, worked by buffalo-power, are sometimes met wRh in the , “7 7 7/

the process of grinding is remarkably slow and imperfect This do f " ntry \ hy 7“° 1,ii i . . ^ domestic mill consists of two

stones, the lower one beipg stationary, and the upper one ^ ^ T , °

mi • • x • ,• -i . movable on tho face of tho former

This is put in motion hy a man or hoy, hy a connecting rod jointed to „ a i 7 !fastened to tho periphery of the upper stone. (See fig. 3, plate 1.) 1 ^ ^ ^

A large mill, worked ry hnffalo-powor, used for grinding hone, for bcaMfol . ^