Work is being organized by the Bureau of Reconstruction of this hsien with a view to feed as many of the needy of the 3rd section as possible. One project which will Specially appeal to them is the construction of a canal which will bring the water of the Yangtze right up fo the middle of their own section.
the good old days, there used to. be ya canal bringing the Yangtze water, when the river is at its helghi, (og far inland as Hsiang Chuan, but there is merely the ves tige of this canal to be seen now. The land-owners who will be benedtted by this project will be glad to contribute each his share to the reconstruction of the elf canal and branches from that can be carried up several of the ravines leading down from the higher lands. These slopes rein some cases gentle, and by sinking the canal as much as twelve fect at the upper end, considerable portions of the hardest hit lands can have water put at their disposal. People in such dire need, will not mind pumping water twenty or even 90 feet if it is available, as it would thus be at high water, just the time when itis most needed, 'A. proposition to extend the distance that the Yangtze water can be carried inland is being considered. The idea is to extend the first canal as far inland as can be done by sinking it say fifteen or twenty feet ats" upper end. At that point 2 wide platform would be constructed on which as many as twenty native raise bottom ten oF fifteen feet above the level of the low-level canal. The owners of lands on that higher level could have as much water at they wished by supplying their canal by means of their pumps. Not only could pumps run by man power be used, but also chain pumps driven by caitle could be installed for pumping from greater depths.
It this proves feasible after being. tried at one or two points, fully 80 er cent. of the land worst hit this Year by the drought could be supplied with Yangtze water. For the balance that is too high, there is stil lett the deepening and' enlargement of the pools that are_scaltered about on all the farms. Some of these can be. made so large 2s to be considered reservoirs, at a small cost, and as the water from them would be used for irrigation for only one out of the) four seasons, enough for crops would be available, If most of what is now allowed to' run away during the heavy rains could be caught. The owners of the lands benefitted by this can be persuaded to expend Jmoney or rice to have their tenants: assured of good crops to pay the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.