The four large hsiens, Tsiyuan, Meng, Wen, and Chin Yang, of which Huaiking is the centre, have been favoured with recent rains. The dry, thirsty wheat lands have been watered five or six inches deep. The wheat is wonderfully revived. During the past for weeks grain buyers from famine flooded districts have been active, especially in Tsi-yuan, making large purchases of grain, but prices are remaining steady because the recent rain has almost assured an average crop for the coming harvest.
Country unsettled, travelling uncertain: when trouble was reported between the Honan Tuchun Chao Ti and General Wu Pei-fu trade became temporarily paralysed and travellers delayed setting out on a journey. Owing to the famine of last year all work animals are scarce and expensive north of the Yellow River. Many farmers have gone south to the flooded famine areas of this year and purchased work animals cheap beca.iso Tack of fodder has made it hard to winter stock in the south. These stock dealers and merchants are constantly giving reports of the trying conditions they have experienced, often suffering loss from robbers and bandits.
Hvatkine Hipe Trape, The Mohammedans of Huaiking and Chinghua are big dealers in hides.
Great quantities of sheep and goat skins and cow and mule hides are accumulated here, a large proportion of which are brought on pack animals from Shansi and Shensi over the mountain trade routes. Shipments are' then made by railway to Hankow. Over $30,000 of hides were carted' out of the North Gate of Huaiking: city last week. Students and merchants in the inland cities are now beginning to wear leather shoes. Shoemakers from the port cities are moving inland to carry on their trade. It has been remarked that ten cow hides shipped out will not buy back again one cow hide of first-class tanned leather. Whether this be true or not it at least indicates a good opening for the company that would be enterprising enough to produce good tanned hides locally.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.