Every traveller in North China is familiar with the small reaping knife in use everywhere. It is simply a little thin blade about five in, long with a handle of about 24-in. in length. It permits of the vutting of only a single handful wheat at a stroke and the posi of the reaper is a most tire-ne one. He must bend low and first gather the wheat in a handful and cut it near the ground with a sawing motion.
The only variation of this method that the writer knows is to found at Haichow (in north sti) and itumediately raises two inquiries: where did they get it? and why is it not more universal reaper itself is not the most part of the perform: "different as it is other knives used in China. almost identical with the old-fashioned scythe or "cradle" used all over the southern part of the United States. There is a long crooked handle to be grasped by both hands and swung in a semicircle, the man retaining an erect and comfortable position, The sey the blade is the familiar type which accompanies the standard representation of Time or Death in western print and parallel to it but further up the handle are several light ribs or spokes. It works beauti fully. As the scythe cuts the the ground it falls against these ribs and at the end of the swing the reaper with a falling motion of one hand sweeps m into a handful and_ drops then for the tyers who foitow behind. Is it possible that these two forms of reapers could be—independently evolved and yet be so ingly similar?) An illustration from a trade paper is at once recognized by Haichow people as their own model of scythe.
But the really startling invention is the "attachment" which does away with the necessity of additional labourers whose business it 1s to tic the handfuls into bundles convenient for handling. This consists of a boat-like frame of bent poles and netting which forms a light and easily-dragged vehicle of surprising convenience. It is attached to the belt of the man who wields the scythe and when he goes into action one who sees it for the first time will give an involuntary exclamation of surprise and wonder at its efficiency.
He makes a wide swathe with his scythe and the swing carries the strument with its load of wheat up into the air well above his left shoulder. As it reaches the instant of rest and just before it starts on its return trip a slight motion of the wrist shakes the wheat from the carrying ribs and it drops neatly behind him into the carrier without the loss of a single straw. He can easily drag it for 100 yards before its load becomes too heavy for comfort and then all he has to do is to turn it over and begin again. The whole thing weighs less than a dozen pounds and gives rise to constant questioning as to its origin but the only answer is " we here do it that way."
Rabbit Hunting with Spears.
Not long ago in crossing a ferry I began conversation with a rabbit vendor who had half a dozen on his pole as the result of a day's hunt.
only weapon was a plain spear, a light pole with a barbed iron points.
His tactics were very simple and all depended on his keen eyesight He could detect rabbits nestling in clumps of grass. the colour scheme of which utterly protected them from less keen eyes.—Every one knows that a rabbit in his protective retreat will sit quietly until the hunter is within a few feet.
Knowing from experience how close he can approach, the hunter launches his spear at the—proper moment and, in a surprising num-her of instances, will get his game. A slight touch' is sufficient, for while the rabbit is one of the' fleetest of animals it is also one of the easiest to injure and any kind of a blow will disable it. If struck squarely with such a weapon it is. of course, killed or completely crippled at once.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.