The wheat harvest is now just being gathered, and every one is very busy. The grain is fret pulled up by the, root, tied in bundles and carried home. The routs are then cut off by means of a large, clumsy knife, which is hinged at one end to a heavy grooved stick, into which groove the knife closes. It requires one person to place the sheaves of wheat across the block, and another to press the knife down into the groove, thus cutting the bundle in two. The grain is then threshed out, generally by means of a heavy stone roller drawn by animals around a threshing floor made of hard-pounded earth. The straw and coarser chaff being carefully raked away, and the wheat into a heap, the winnowing is done by throwing the grain into the air and against the wind, This requires considerable skill in the use of the shovel, so as to drop the clean wheat on the floor, while the chaff is blown away, The wheat in this section is pronounced good" in quality and yield. Occasional showers have fallen from time to time, but the yield of the autumn crops will be determined by the summer rains yet to come.
Mr. Niu 4 of the Chinese Telegraph Ca., accompanied by two foreign assistants anda considerable staff of native labourers, recently passed through here, Their mission is to extend the line westward through Taiyuen Fu, Shensi, to Ilion the north-west border, The route has already been detormined, and the poles scattered along the line. Many rumours, varying in their nature, have been afloat in regard to this project, but no serious difficulty is appro-hended in erecting the line.
This place is on the high road of travel to Taiyuen Fu, Shansi, both from Peking and from Tientsin, It can be reached by boat from the latter place, and is at the head of navigation." At the present time, however, the practical "head of naviga: tion" is about 50 li by Jand distant. From this point to Paoting Fu, the depth of water at this season of the year is about 8 or 10 inches, which can be increased to 20 or 24 inches by rude locks, which require both time and patience' in the opening and closing. For they consist simply of largo, square timbers dropped one upon the other down a groove in solid stone masonry, and require a good deal of main strength both to lift out and re-place. The stream is narrow—a mere thread—the banks high, and although the water supply is limited. it would bea very simple matter, ud comparatively inexpensive, to construct convenient system of locks which would make navigation continuous and easy during these dry months, This would be of great value to the provincial capital, and greatly facilitate trade into Shansi and. the northwest.
The American Board has a station at Paoting Fu, connected with which is a prosperous" work extending far out among country villages. From fifty to eighty pationis are treated daily in the dispensary and hospital. Hitherto the local work has been mainly carried on within the city, the insanitary conditions of which have com: pelled the absence of the missionaries for the greater part of the summer in order to maintain their health. More recently premises have been secured outside the south gate, near the river, and gradually things are taking shape for the transfer of
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.