lroad about 15 miles, to Shaho, where we
employed donkeys and a ricksha, and rode across country some 12 or 15
miles. Here we found a very excellent Chinese hotel, and surrounding
orchards of perhaps 300 trees. Some of the consular reports in China
stated that this place was one of the three sections in which the finest
shipments of nuts were produced.

We next went to the east of Tientsin where we found quite a number of
orchards and trees claimed to be from 150 to 200 years of age, although
we found, after travelling a short time and inquiring from the Chinese
farmers, that the figures they gave to us were probably inaccurate. We
finally ceased to ask the Chinese farmers for figures of that sort. It
was very interesting to note the difference in Chinese and American
methods. For instance, in China, the land may be owned by one or by
several people, who will lease the land or the trees, or perhaps even an
individual tree, for a period of years. White marks placed on the trees
indicate their ownership.

Young walnut trees were very scarce. We were told in one province that
Chinese merchants, who had been forced out of Russia because of economic
conditions there, and had lost everything, had come home and were
seeking something with which to make money. They were already planting a
considerable number of walnut trees, and were growing crops under the
trees, planting crops of millet first, and then of soy beans later in
the season. Another crop they use is called kaolin (pronounced "gollin"
in this country).

Very few of the trees are ever pruned systematically, or taken care of;
the Chinese seem to have no idea of this. Of course, the rainfall there
is at a different time of the year than ours. Fall, winter and spring,
in North China, are practically without rain. Consequently, the
atmosphere is very dry.

Here and there we found trees that struck us so favorably that we made
notes with the intention of going back to the trees to get scions for
propagating purposes for this country. We were told that one of these
trees had borne 800 pounds of nuts. I suppose, however, if that was so,
it was green weight, and included the hulls. This tree was on the
grounds of the Y. M. C. A., about 80 miles below Shanghai, the farthest
south we went. The tree had been planted by missionaries, and had made
splendid growth. There were not many walnuts south of that point,
however. In the province of Shanshi the soil is of a washed natu