During the season cotton was one of the much cultivated crops and in spite of the summer floods a fairly average crop has been picked. The Changte and Weihwei cotton mills are closed down and the export of cotton at the present time is impossible owing to war conditions; the result is that there is practically no market, or market price, for cotton. The disposal of many other products is hindered in a similar way and consequently the economic life of the people is suffering severely.
The autumn grain crops have a local market because of the scarcity of cereals and the farmers are forced to sell their grain in order to pay their taxes, secure seed wheat and prepare winter clothing, but in a great many instances these same farmers are now selling: grain that they should have for food during the coming winter. Famine conditions are becoming and more more evident from day to day. Banditry is rapidly increasing and daring robberies take place daily. In the Hwaiking district an attempt is being made to enlist the bandits for new recruits in the army; generous terms have been arranged and the of the scheme is anxiously awaited Countryside Attractive While a dark picture is perhaps quite true to facts, yet there is another side which ought to be mentioned. For many.years past the countryside has never looked so green and attractive us it does at present. The copious summer rains caused destruction through floods, yet the revival of tree and plant life has been wonderful. The normal wheat fields never looked more hopeful and the areas that dried up after the floods, and are now sown in wheat, are soon being covered with a very healthy green colour. The Winter wheat crop prospect is the best it has been for many years. The acreage sown thus far may be a trifle less than in former years because large districts remain too wet to be cultivated hen, too, because the wheat crop was a partial failure and the autumn crops were injured by heavy rains the farmers have put forth a special effort to raise more vegetables for autumn and winter use. The vegetable gardens are more productive and many more in number than usual, The thrift of the village farmer in north Honan is wonderfully resourceful in the face of disaster and war conditions, Their quiet patience in Suffering and their persistent plodding in spite of difficulties calls for sympathy and assistance a much better "deal" than seems possible for them to receive under present conditions,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.