INFORMATION ON LAND RECLAMATION IN CHINA, 1951

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000700160039-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 15
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 8, 2011
• Sequence Number: 39
• Publication Date: January 13, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

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MN 3952 "?
CLASSIFICATION CONFIDENTIAL
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT
INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADtO BROADCASTS CD NO.
COUNTRY
China
SUBJECT
DATE OF
Economic -Agriculture, land reclamation INFORMAT
ION
1951
HOW
PUBLISHED
WHERE
PUBLISHED
DATE DIST. /
Book
shanghai N0. OF PAGES
3 Jan 1954
15
DATE
PUBLISHED
Sep 1951
LANGUAGE
SUPPLEMENT
TO
Chinese
REPORT N0.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
Chung-kuo ti K'en-chih (Land Reclamation in China), by Tang Ch'i-yu
published by v,,,,~ u~te.,.. ,.._ _t.. .__. _.
IItF'ORMATION ON LAND RECLAMATION IN CHINA 1951
~omment and Summary: This report gives selections from the
Chinese monograph, Chung-kuo ti K'en-chih.. The monograph, au un-
official publication, divided China into five areas to present d~+.?i
on land reclamation and settlement. These areas are: the North-
east, the Northeast, the Southwest, seacoast and island areas, and
other unused land. Discussion of each of the areas included s his-
torical summary and a survey of current conditions with respect to
amount and type of wasteland, terrain and weather, possible uses,
necessary improvements, accomplishments to date and additional pop-
uiatlon that could be supported.
The author of the monograph stated that adequate statistics for
a study of this type were not available and emphasized that exten-
sive investigations would be necessary before an accurate estimate
of the situation could be made. Because of differences~in the amount
and type of information available, there is considerable variation
in the treatment of the areas]
The cultivated land of China amounts to more than 1.4 billion shah-mou.
This is scarcely one tenth of the total land area of the country. Estimates
of the amount of arable land vary widely but the most reliable figure is about
500 million shah-mou ~ne shih-mou equals 667 square meters] in addition tc
that already being cultivated. This additional arable land is distributed as
follows: Northeast; more than 200 million shih-mou: Northwest; 50-60 million
shih-mou: Southwest 40-50 million shih-mou: coastal end island areas; 100
million shih-mou. Scattered areas of unused arable land in the interior are
added to obtain the above-mentioned total.
50X1-HUM
DISTRIBUTION
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THE NORTHEAST
According to the Tun -san-shen Chin -chi Tiao-ch'a Shu (Economic Survey
of the Three Eastern Provinces , Liaotung, Kirin, and Heilungkiang have a total
of 210 million shah-mou oP unused land. An economic survey made by Nan-k'ai
University stated that there are more than 200 million shah-mou of unused land
in the Northeast. The Japanese Itauchi Shogoro estimated that arable land in
the North?ast was distributed as follows:
Province Arable Land Cultivated Land Unused Land (in shah-mou)
Liaoning 125,853,682 83,411,472 42,442,210
Kirin 101,093,697 56,390,626 44,703,071
Eeilungkiang 134,772,583 47,697,i~77 87,075,106
Totai 361,719,926 187,499,575 174,220,387
The book Tung-san-shen, Chi-lueh (Sketch of the Ttxree Eastern Provinces)
stated that unused land, from north to south, is distributed as follows:
1. Right bank of the Argun River, including Hu-lun and Lu-p'in hsiens and
Chi-la-lin Preparatory Nsien
2. The northeast area along the right bank of the Amur River, including
Al-hun and Hu-ma hsiens and t?fo-ho Preparatory $sien
3. The southeast area along the left bank of the Amur River, including
Lo-pei, Tang-yuan, and Tung-ho hsiens
4. The left bank of the T'u-men Chiang, including Ting-chi, Hun-ch'un,
Wang-Ch'ing, and Ho-lung hsiens
5. The upper reaches of the 14u-tan Chiang, Sui-fen IIo, and Mu-].eng Ho,
including Diing-an, Tung-Wing, and !?iu-leng hsiens
6. The left bank of the Wu-su-li Chiang and ?:;he right bank of the Hun-
t'ung Chiang, including Mi-shen, Hu-lin, Jao-ho, Sui-yuan, and Tung-yuan hsiens
7. The basin of the T'ao-erh Ho and Huo-lei Ao, including T'ao-Wan, T'ao-
an, K'ai-t'ung, An-kuang, T'u-ch'uan, and Chen-tung hsiens
8. The right bank of the upper course of the Yalu River, including Ch'ang-
pai, Lin-Chiang, An-t'u, and Fu-sung hsiens
Agricult:iral Conditions in Settlement Areas In t;ie ilorthesat
Av Temp
Frost-
Climate
Apr-Oct
Fx?ee
Rainfall
District
(degrees C)
de;rees
C
Products Period
(nun)
;-il
Lower Liao
Warm,
16
Kaoliang, soy- 140-200
500-900
Broxn loam,
Ho irri-
10 to 8
beans, cotton, days
light cal-
gation
tobacco, corn,
careous
area
silkworms,
soil al-
miscellaneous
luvial
garden products
soil
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Climate
District ~lepreea C)
NE Liaotung Moderate,
dry-farming 8 to 6
area and
the irri-
gace3 areas
of Sungkiang
and Kirin
Liaosi and Moderate
Inner Mon- and dry,
golian dry- 6 to 4
farming areas
NE and SE Cool,
Sungkiang 4 to 2
dry-farming
areas
NE and SE Cold, 10-13
fteilungkiang 4 to 2
dry-farming
areas
Jehol farm- Very cold, 10
ing and 0 to -2
grazing area
and Western
fteilungkiang-
Inner Mongolia
farming and
grazing area
NW fteilung- Dry, 2 to n
kiang-Inner
Mongolia
grazing area
Grains, soybeans, 110-140
millet, corn, and days
other early ripen-
ing crops
450-550 Southern
part, dark
brown soil;
most areas,
forest-
. type light
gray soil;
.moist areas,
acid soil
Grains, buckwheat, 110 days 350-450 Black ca1-
potatoes
careous
soil, brown
calcareous
soil, gray-
brown loam
THE NORTNdEST
light brown
calcareous
soils and
alkaline
soils
There are certain limitations on the increase in the amount of irrigated land.
In southeastern Kansu, along the T'ao-hui'and ftuang-hui canals, irrigation is lim-
ited by the topography and does not exceed,10,000-20,000 mo?~. The level land to
the xeat of the Yellow River is extensive a;Zd wr.ter sourced are comparatively plen-
tiful. ftere the construction oP dikes and reservoirs cou~~d increase the amount of
irrigated land.
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In Suiyuan and Ningsia, within the bend of the Yellow River, construction
of reservoirs and repair of the ditches could result in a great Sncreane in the
amount of irrigated :land. Iu southern Sinkiang, at Koala near Karashahr, the
water of the Bagrash KoJ. is used for irrigation. The I-li region of northern
Sinkiang west of Ching-ho is the richest irrigated region in Sirilciang. The ir-
rigated area here can still be considerably increased. This area uses the water
of the I-li Ho, the T'e-k'o-ssu Ho, and the Kung-nai-asu Ho for irrigation.
Zn the Turfan area, west of Ha-mi, the use of hillside tunnels as sources
of irrigation water is quite general.
In Tainghai and Sinkiang the number of cattle can be almost doubled but
various kinds of feed must be grown. For this reason, part of the grazing land
must 'oe planted.
Unused arable land in the Northwest is distributed as follows:
1. Jehol
Eastern Jehol: Ch'eng-te, P'ing-ch'uan, Ling-yuan, Chao-yung, and Ch'ih-
feng hsiens; 2 million mou
Western Jehol: Luan-ping, Feng-ning, and Wei-ch'ang hsiens; 3 million mou
2. Chahar
Southern Chahar: K'ang-pao and Shang-tu hsiens; 5 million mou
Northern Chahar: To-lun and Pao-ch'ang hsiens; 5 million mou
3? Suiyuan
Eastern Suiyuan: Hsing-ho, Chi-ning, T'ao-lin, and Feng-chen hsiens;
2 million mou
Southern Suiyuan: I-meng and Tung-sheng hsiens; 5 million mou
Northern Suiyuan: Wu-tung, Wu-hsi, Ku-yang, and pn_pei hsiens;?6 mil-
Western Suiyuan: Hou-t'ao, Wu-yuan Hsien and Lin?ho Hsien; y million mou
4.
Ningsia:
Hsi-t'so astern Ningsia]; 2 million mou
5?
Kansu: Western corridor; 5 million mou
6.
Tsinghai:
Tsaidam Basin a~.d other warm valleys; 5 million mou
7.
Sinkiang:
Ha-mi area; one million mou
Karashahr-Koala area; 3 million mou
Urumchi and Sha-wan area; 2,500,000 mou
Kuld~a area; 2,500,000 mou
Chuguchak area; one million mou
Sharasume area; one million mou
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CONF'IDENTIAL
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The total un4ved arable land in the Northwest amounts to 60 million mau.
Considering as an average figure that 8 mou can support one person, the popu-
lation of the Northwest could be increased by 7,500,000, that is, by more than
one third of the present population. The natural annual increase of eight per-
sons per thousand will make up a part of this deficiency over the next 20-30
years and still allow 20,000 households, or 100,000 people per year, to be set-
tled in this area. The necessity for drawing a large number of workers to the
Northwest as mining and industry develops is another matter.
Conditions in the settlement areas of the Northwest are as folloxs:
1. The eastern Jehol plateau dry-farming area lies on both banks of the
Ta-ling Ho and belongs to the three Kharchin Mongolian banners. Rainfall is
from 400 to 600 millimeters and the average temperature from April to Septem-
ber is 21.2 degrees centigrade.
2. The western Jehol plateau dry-farming area is in the upper I,uan Ho
region and also belongs to the three Kharchin banners. The rainfall scarcely
exceeds 400 millimeters and the average temperature from April to September is
about the same as in eastern Jehol.
3? T::e Chahar dry-farming area is in southern Chahar adjacent to Jehol
and the natural conditions are similar. In the northern Chahar highlands, the
rainfall is 200 millimeters lad the average temperature from April to September
is 14.6 degrees centigrade. The growing season is short and wind erosion is
very serious. 1: the area is maintained as a grazing region, its production
can be increased by improvements in types of cattle and pasturage. At the same
time, by rotating crops, some grasslan3 can be used to supply food for both
people and cattle.
4. The eastern Suiyuan Basin dry-farming area is east of Kuei-sui. Al-
though its extent is small, its agricultural production is abundant and the
population is comparatively dense. The yearly rainfall does not reach 400 mil-
limeters; the average temperature from April to September is 17.5 degrees cen-
tigrade. Improvements in irrigation can increase the amount of arable land only
slightly.
5. The northern Suiyuan highland grazing area lies north of the Ta-ch'ing
Shan. Temperatures here are somewhat below those of eastern SuiYixan, the land
ie favorable for grass, and cattle and sheep are raised as in nearby northern
Chahar. The southern part of the area is suitable for cultivation and has al-
ready been divided into hsiens to receive settlers.
6. The southern Suiyuan sandy and rocky dry-farming area is close to Ksnsu
and Shensi. The soil is sandy, rocky, and saline; the average annual rainfall
is only 180 millimeters and is irregular. In the mixed farmin; and grazing dis-
tricts, only millet and other crops capable of withstanding drought and alkaline
soils can be grown.
7. The western Suiyuan plain irrigated area is a level plain with scanty
rainfall, the yearly average being about 20u millimeters. Only the Yellow River
flows through it forming its great bend. By means of ;rrigatien, prcduction is
fairly high but the great quantity of silt carried by the Yellow River causes
diffic?slties. Control of the Yellow River and improvement of the ditches could
increase considerably the amount of arable land.
8. In the Ningsia plain irrigated area, the annual rainfall is scarcely
more than 200 millimeters and the region is dependent on the Yellow River for
water for irrigation. If river control and irrigation projects were carried out
below Ch'ing-t'ung-hsia and the land east of Ho-lan-dnan were opened as an
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irrigated district, the cultivated land could be extended to support settlers.
In addition, the average temperature from April to September is 1~.2 degrees
centigrade xhich is warmer than the 17.2 degrees centigrade at Kuei-sui and it
' possible to grow paddy rice.
9? The Kansu western highland irrigated area is in the Kansu western cor-
ridor, west of Wu-shao-ling, and the annual rainfall is only 100 millimeters.
Irrigation depends on snow runoff from the Ch'i-lien Shan or underground water
from a water-bearing gravel stratum. At present, because the old ditches have
not been repaired and few new ditches have been opened, a fairly large amount
of land has gone out of use, but if old ditches are repaired and new ones opened,
the cultivated area could be increased.
10. The Tsaidam Basin dry-farming area in Tsinghai has a high elevation
and temperatures are low. At Hsi-ning the average temperature from April to
September is 14.8 degrees centigrade, the ann~ial rainfall is 354.3 millimeters,
and becomes less toward the west. At Lan-chou, temperatures are more moderate
while rainfall is greater. Soil in 'ow places is often saline but in the warmer
valleys there are water sources ann Chinese and Tibetan settlers. Water sources
are not fully utilized, however, and arable land can be somewhat expanded. The
Tsaidam Basin is especially suitable for development by using a mixed farming
and grazing system.
11. Irrigated oasis areas an3 mountain farming and grazing areas in Sin-
kiang have a high elevation and there is much wasteland. Steep sloped, sand
dunes, and salt flats are everywhere. In southern Sinkiang, the annual rain-
fa11 is less than 100 millimeters while ir. northern Sinkiang it is about 300
millimeters. The April-September average temperature at Urumchi is 17 degrees
centigrade and in southern Sinkiang it is relatively higher. The need for ir-
rigation using snow runoff, mountain streams, and ground water is much more
pressing in southern Sinkiang than in the north. If facilities for transfer-
ring water were rebuilt and put in order everywhere, the arable land could be
greatly increased. In the Tien Shan east from Ha-mi north of the Tarim Basin,
the climate is moist and the valleys are fertile. This is a famous grazing
area which could be further utilized for agricultur.:l purposes.
There are many areas in the Northwest where farming and stock raising are
combined. The chief animals raised are steep, horses, cattle, and camels, in
that order. In addition, crops are grown that require little water, such as
wheat, corn, millet, and rape to provide Food and also as cash crops.
In the Ch'a-han-ch'u Ho, farming and grazing district of the Yen-ch'i and
Ho-shih area, where 10,000 catties of seed are planted annually, wheat accounts
for 6,000 catties, corn 1,000 catties, millet 2,000 catties, and rape 1,000 cat-
ties. At the same time, 2,500 sheep, 300 horses, 140 cattle, and 20 camels are
raised. The buildings of the district include 16 dwelling housrs and nine Mon-
gol yurts. In this area men are hired to plow the fields and tend the animals.
The Mongolian Tang-to-erh grazing district is located at Ho-ching Hsien in
Sinkiang. The following animals are bei:ig raised in this district: 1,OS`~1 sheep
(10 rams, 600 ewes, 200 gelded sheep, and 19G lambs), 800 horses (26 stallions,
500 mares, 100 geldings, and 174 colts), 150 head of cattle (3 bulls, 80 cows,
20 steers, and 47 calves); one third of the cattle are yaks. Three men are em-
ployed in tending horses, two for sheep, and one for the cattle.
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cor~'mEHTIaL
THE SOUTHWEST
The unused land in the Southwest is distributed as follows:
The Tung-nan-pa dry-fara.ing area in northern Szechwan has reddish soil and
yellow loam an3 the annual rainfall is 600-800 millimeters. The principal crops
are wheat, corn, and sxeet potatoes. Because of the military activity, the pop-
ulation has declined sharply arrd some land has gone out of use. If cultivation
could be resumed and a crop rotation system employed to prevent erosion and main-
tain fertility, the arable land could be increased considerably. Hoxever, unused
land occurs in scattered pieces and there are no extensive areas availat,le.
The north part of the northern plain area in western Szechwan includes
Ping-wu and Pei.ch'uan on the upper Fu Chiang, and Sung-p'sn and Li-fan on the
upper Min Chiang. The annual rainfall in both places is from 400 to 600 mi11i-
meters and the climate is very cold. Only xheat, peas, rape, and root crops
are grown. The extreme western part of the area is suitable for grazing.
The area in southwestern Szechwan bounded by Lei-po, Ma-pien, Ping-shan,
and 0-pien has a rainfall of 1,000-1,200 millimeters annually but the land is
mountainous and arable land occurs only in small, scattered places. Paddy rice
and wheat are grown in the level places and corn and potatoes on the slopes.
In developing the area, forestry, farming, and grazing should be combined.
The area in southeastern Szechwan, including Yu-yang, hsiu-shah, Ch'ien-
chiang, and P'eng-shut, is hilly country with an annual rainfall of 1,200 to
1,400 millimeters and reddish soil. The arable land is scattered and limited
in extent, therefore it is suitable Por forestry as a principal occupation with
farming as supplementary.
Southeastern Sikang has a rainfall of 1,000 to 1,200 millimeters annually.
Most of the land is heavily forested mountains and the soils are poor except on
the alluvial plains of rivers. Conditions vary greatly throughout the area but
with water conservation, the future development oP agriculture in the fertile
valley bottoms would be very great.
The northern Sikang grazing area is on the high plain of northern Sikang
and is level and extensive, but because of the high altitude the climate is
cold. The annual rainfall is 400-600 millimeters and the growing season is
less than 120 days. Grass is abundant and the area is very suitable for graz-
ing. Hay end potatoes are grown but only enough to provide food for the people
and a part of the feed for the animals.
The central Sikang grazing area surrounds I-tun and Li-hua. The rainfall
is 400 to 600 millimeters annually and the altitude is over 4,000 meters so
there is .comparatively little opportunity for agriculture but it is hoped that
grazing will be a major occupation. Yaks and Tibetan sheep are well suited to
the area.
The Pa-an Basin agricultural area in central Sikang is a broad basin with
an area of about 1,000 square Chinese li at an altitude of from 2,600 to 3,000
meters. It is more than 1,000 meters lower than the Li-hua and I-tun area.
South of Pa-an the bas~.n extends ~o Kung-k'a on the border of Te-,jung Hsien.
In the vicinity of Pa-an, farming is carried on and paddy rice could be grown
if adequate water were furnished.
The Ssu-mao and P'u-erh forest and farming area of Yunnan includes Ssu-mao,
P'u-erh, Ch'e-li, and Fo-hai. Soils are reddish and fertile and rainfall is
abundant. For example, at Ch'e-1i the elevation is between 400 and 500 meters
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and rainfall is about 1,oGJ millimeters so that the locality is very favorable
for farming. Even though the flow of water is very swift and much soil is
eroded, proper maintenance methods adapted to the climate would make possible
foreatiy and farming. Elimination of malaria in the area would allow settle-
ment and cultivation of the land. The climate of Yunnsn is marked by seasonal
rains and in the dry season there is no rain for the transplanting of rice plants
or for irrigation. The ground becomes hard as iron azd plowing is impossible.
In the rainy season, the rainfall is excessive and the water cannot drain away
so low places are flooded. The control of water is a major problem in expand-
ing the arable land.
The Liang-ho, Ying-Chiang, Lu-hsi area in western Yunnan; the Ch1eE-ch'uan,
$so-Ch'ing, Lan-p'ing area in northern Yunnan and the ;ung-ming, M1-lei, K'ai-
yuan area in southern Iunnan have already been settles but because of lack of
water and the instability of the government, much land is still going to waste.
In the northern area, the elevation is 2,000-3,500 meters above sea level and
the annual rainfall is from 1,000 to 1,200 millimeters. Products include corn,
whest, buckwheat, and hay. The 'valley bc,ttoms in the southern area are at an
elevation of 500 to 3,000 meters above sea level. The area is on the border of
the temperate and tropical zones and has a growing season of 240 days or more.
Tree cotton, paddy rice, pumpkins, hemp, tobacco, corn, barley, and wheat can
be grown. On the valley slopes at 3,000 to 4,000 meters elevation,. the growing
season is somewhat shorter. Where the season is less than 200 days, the prin-
cipal crops ore wheat, barley, peas, buckwheat, and potatoes although some paddy
rice is grown.
The Kuei-yang and Tsun-i dry-farming area is in central Kweichow and the
Tu-Chun and Tu-shan area is in southern Kweichox. The soil in central Kweichow
is yellow loam and in southern Kweichow is yellow-red loam. The land consists
of level space's and slopes at elevations from 300 to 3,000 meters. Because of
topographical limitations, unused arable land is not very extensive.
The western Kweichow forest and grazing area is west of An-shun where thz
country is very mountainous and suitable for forestry and grazing: The culti-
vated land produces few agricultural products.
In northwestern Kwangsi, west of the $unan-Kwangsi Railway, the size oP
unused land areas varies from thousands to hundreds of thousands of mou. The
mean annual temperature is from 18 to 20 degrees centigrade and the annual rainfall
is from 1,400 to 1,600 millimeters. Although weather conditions are favorable,
the soil is poor and rocky and does not retain water so that production is
slight. Because of the sparse population, labor is lacking and also capital and
fertilizer. The people resort to such unfavorable practices as burning off the
grass on the slopes. If attention is given to improvement of the soil and proper
f ertili z a d o n, and additional menpower is brought in, the arable land of
Kwangsi can be greatly increased.
The coastal srea is largely devoted to producing salt and is composed of
alluvial saline soils. As the shore expands outward, improvement of the soil
will maY.e cultivation possible. The six coastal provinces from $opeh to Kwang-
tung all have this saline alluvial ~oi1, of which only a small portion is .needed
for salt production, so that most of the area is available for reclamation.
The temperature and rainfall are suitable for cultivation but the presence of
so much salt sod th_ growth of reeds and rushes creates wasteland. The first
step in making use of these ].ands is the construction of sea walls to prevent
flooding be sea water which not only inundates the countryside but also makes
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it impossible to grox anything on the land for many years:' This construction
of sea xalls is extremely important to the economy of Kiangsu and Chekiang and
maintenance of such walls is one of the important functions of the provincial
governments. Even if the sea rater is kept off the lead, hoxever, it is still
necessary to eliminate the salt in the soil, therefore, the next step is to
provide fresh rater to leach the soil. This can be done by rain water seeFing
through the soil, by allowing fresh water to flox over the. land, or by using
machinery and electric power to distribute Yresh rater in order to get rid of
the salt. Afterward, crops that can tolerate a saline soil, such as cotton,
rice, grains, and alfalfa may be grown.
The following table shows
size and distribution
of seacoast
d
i
areas suitable for reclamation:
an
sland
P
Previously
Not Yet
rovince
Location
Total Area (mou)
Reclaimed(pou)
Reclaimed(mogl
Hopeh
Shantung
Po Hai coast
Delta of the Yellow
4,500,000
320,000
4,180,000
River
550,000
50 000
5,000
Kiangsu
Northern Kiangsu,
22 000 U00
, ,
6,000,000
16 000 000
, ,
Sung-Chiang
400 000
~
256 000
,
114,000
Chekiang
Fukien
North and south
Hsia-p'u, P'u-t'ien,
3,000,000
2,000,000
1,000,000
Lung-ch'i
1,000,000
998,760
Kwangtung
Canton area
5,650,000
3,500,000
2,150,000
Lei-chow Peninsula
5,400,000
~t00,000]
5,000,000
Taiwan
Eastern Taiwan
3,000,000
1,800,000
1,200,000
Hainan
5.700 000
,
,000,000]
2.700,OOn
Total 51,200,000 18,324,760 32,874,000
The following table shows temperature and rainfall in seacoast areas:
Place
Annual Mean
Temperature Ave Tempp
Latitude (degrees C) (degrees C)
Annual Mean
Rainfall(mm)
Apr - Sep
A
R
r
ve
ainfall(mm)
Tientsin
39 9 11.98
21.4
495.9
448.8
Chih-fou
37 33 12.52
20.9
587.8
471.3
Sou-ning
-- 14.69
--
7~y.9
654.6
Nan-t'ung
-- ~ 14.34
_..
970.1
757.7
Ning-po
29 57 16.56
23.1
1331.0
866.0
Foochow
25 59 20.11
25.3
1666.2
1052.1
Amoy
24 27 21.84
26.0
1175.7
825.9
Swatow
23 23 21.89
26.1
1508.5
1157.4
T'si-nan
25 15 22.04
26.4
1677.0
__
-9-
CONFIDENTL4L
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51,200,000 mou of lari available forvreclamationLLinccoastalnandeislandtareas
will allow an inc:=ass of 12,800,000 in population. Development of these lands
will eliminate the necessity for emigration and permit the coastal provinces to
take care of their own surplus population.
Agricultural reclamation projects in 1950, in the Po IIai coastal area, were
as follows:
At the Kao-li State Farm along the loxer Chi-yun Chiang in Ning-ho Hsien,
Hopeh, rater conservation installations included two water-distribution devices
~ic], 7 electric pumps, 170,000 cubic meters of irrigation ditches, 81 b^idges,
more than 800 large and small watergates, and more than 30C farm building,. farm
implements included 26 tractors and more than 90 other pieces of equipment such
as combines, harrows, and seed drills. This farm had 44,000 mou of we^ and dry
fields under cultivation. Prescribed missions of the farm were to mechanize
cultivation completely; to follow a 6-year experimental rotation cycle with paddy
rice, cotton, ant alfalfa as the chief crops; and to carry out the method of deep
plowing and close planting xith rotation of uet and ary cultivation.
The Huang-hus State Farm south of Tientsin between the Po Hai and Tsang
Hsien, had 84 head of livestock for breeding purposes. The low-lying laud makes
drainage difficult. There was a total of 5,230 mou of arable land of which 3,800
mou were under cultivation. The prescribed missions of this farm were to carry
out leaching of alkaline soil, the clearing of silt, and the intensive raising
of livestock.
The Chun-liing-ch'eng Experimental Farm had a total of 597 mou of farm land.
The mission of this farm was to conduct experiments in selecting varieties of
plants and in methods of combating insects.
This area includes eight cooperative farms; Chun-liang-ch'eng, Chang-huang-
chuang, Heiao-ehan, Ching-non, Ching-chino, Ch's-tien, Wu-feng, and Po-ko-Chuang.
These eight farms had more than 1,000 xagons and water carts. Land already re-
claimed amounted to 235,000 mou which was cultivated by 18,900 households with
a total population of 91,y00 of xhom 40,980 comprised the labor force. These
farms had three missions: (1) to repair all types of water conservation instal-
lations, (2) to distribute seed and fertilizer loans, (3) to strictly prohibit
subletting and subleasing and to eliminate extortion of the new "fixed bonus."
The Lu-t'ai and Yang-liu-ch'irg electrified rater conservation stations
irrigated 37,000 mou of land for farmers. Their mission xas to solve the leach-
ing and irrigation problems of individual farmers.
The Ching-chino tractor station had six tractors and several dozen other
implements while the Ching-chino horse-drain plow station had 28 plows and 56
animals. Together these stations plowed and cultivated more than 6,000 mou for
farmers.
In 1950, land already reclaimed in the Po Hai area amounted to 226,000 mou
of irrigated fields and 88,000 mou of nonirrigated fields, or a total of more
than 314,000 mou.. This was one third greater than the 240,000 mou available in
1949? It is expected that food productior this year will be 113 wi111on catties.
Water conservation installations, since last year, include several dozen elec-
tric water distribution stations repaired and expanded, 143 electric machines of
various types, 40 transformers, and 245 electric pumps. The volume of water is
sufficient to irrigate more than 350,000 mou.
A five-year plan for the Po Hai Area has been proposed by the Agricultural
Reclamation. Bureau. The plan runs from 1951 through 1955 and has as its main
object the rapid reclamation oP 1,200,000 mou of wasteland thus increasing the
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present 320,000 mou oP agricultural land to more than 1,50C,000 mou. This repre-
sents 36 percent of the total unused land in the Po Hai area. The plan also pro-
poses development of water conservation works, establishment of state farms,
preparation of farm implement stations and training of operators, use of scien-
tific methods to improve soil fertility, raising of improved varieties of plants
and animals, establishment of nurseries for tree seedlings, and other measures
to enrich the Po Hai area. Other concrete plena include the organization of
available lator for production, the establishment of agricultural cooperatives
and the development of secondery occupations.
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Unused 'land in the interior is tnterspersed with cultivated land and does
not resemble the other undeveloped areas; however, these separate pieces may be
considered together for purposes of comparison.
Listed below are the size and distribution of interior unused land areas.
Province
Location
T
ype of Land
Size mou
Kansu
Southeastern Kansu mountain
Area
River shore
1,500,000
Shens?.
Valleys of the Han Chiang and
Wei Ho watersheds
River shore
2,000,000
Northern and southern Shensi
mountain areas
Mountainous
5,000,000
Honan
Anhwei
Old Yellow Ri
ee
,
,
Kiangsu
ver area
P1sin
14,W0,000
Anhwei, Kiangsu
Anhwei-Kiangsu mountain area
Mountainous
S,000,OCO
Hupeh, Hunan,
Anhwei, Kiangsu
Areas along the lakes and
the Yangtze River
River and lake
shore
3,5o0,O?b
Kiangsi
Eastern and southwestern
Kisngsi
Both level. and
mountainous
37,000,000
Fukien
Northwestern Fukien moun-
tain area
Mountainous
1,000,000
Kwang;ung
Northern Kwantung mountain
area
Mountainous
22,000,000
Total
84,000,000
Although all of this land is considered to be arable, different methods must
be used in developing it. About one half is suitable for farming, one quarter
for grazing and raising feed, and one quarter for forestry. Using the average
figure of 6 mou for the support of one person, tk:is land will permit sn increase
in population of 14 million. The figure of 6 mou per person is based on the con-
siderations that fertilization of sandy areas will restore them to productivity
and that two harvests per year are possible south of the Huai Ho Basin. These
factors are combined with the products of grazing and forestry to arrive at the
average.
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The following is a summary of conditions in the interior reclamation areas.
1. The southeastern Kanau mountain area includes the headwaters areas oP
the Ching Ho, Wei Ho, Min Chiang, psi-lung Chiang, and T'ao.Ho and lies at an
elevation of about 3,000 meters. Where the valley bottoms are wide and level,
protective works car. be built 61ong both banks of the river and sandy areas can
be made Fertile. Where level land along the rivers is less than 10 meters wide,
the arable land cannot be expanded. The mean annual rainfall at Min Hsien is
623.4 millimeters and ie concentrated in July, August, and September. The high-
est July temperature is 18.1 degrees centigrade and lowest January temperature
is 3.5 degrees centigrade ~ic] with an annual average of 7.9 degrees centi-
grade. The frost period is from 6 to 7 months long; but even in July and Au-
pst there is danger of damage Prom killing frosts and 'nail.
2. Along both banks of the Wei Ho in.Shenai, from Tung-kuan to Pao-chi, there
are more than one million mou oP river shore lands and along the Han Chiang from
Wu-hou Chen in Mien Hsien to Lung-heng in Yang Hsien and the Ta-lung Ho there
are more than 500,000 mou of river shore lands at an average elevation of 2,500
meters. By the use of sedimentation measures these can be made into productivE
land. Before these measures can be put into effect, however, there must be a
detailed water conservation survey and sound plans must be made.
3. The following mountainous areas in Shensi have wasteland from which some
land may be reclaimed:
Area
Amount of Wasteland (mou)
Recoverable Portion
Huang-lung Shan
2 400 000
One third
Li-p'ing (Ta-pa Shan)
200 000
~
One tenth
Chien Shan
r
500,000
One half
The foot of T'ai-psi Shan
150,000
Three tenths
Ma-lan
2,000,000
One third
Ts'o-o Shan
30,000
One half
Total
5,280,000
In reclaiming mountain lard, there is a serious problem of erosion so
that the first step must be measures to retain the soil.
4. Areas in Honan, Anhwei, and Kiangsu were flooded by the Yellow River
when the Japanese opened the dikes at Hua-yuan-k'ou in 1938. The dikes were
repaired in 1947 and the flooded area dried up. This area is divided into three
sections as follows:
The sandy river shore areas in eastern Ronan are being planted with
grass and trees, and cultivation is prohibited in the hope that soil Fertility
will be increased. In less sandy areas, belts of hay are being planted at right
angles to the prevailing winds in order to prevent wind erosion. Most of this
area is dry with scarcely 600 millimeters of rainfall, therefore i;, xil]. be
necessary to bring in water for irrigation. Also, the soil is highly alkaline,
and fresh water must be supplied for leaching.
CORFIDENTIAL
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Northern Anhwei consists of an alluvial plain oP mare cohesive
soils. If drainage is improved, this can be made into excellent agricultural
land. It will also be necessary to repair the great dike of the Huai Ho to
assure productivity.
c. Northern :Ciangsu
lorthern Kiangsu between the Tientsin-Shanghai Railxay and the
Grand Canal is a region of many lakes and ponds. The soil is relatively heavy
and suitable Por rice growing and the area was once prosperous. Because of
inundation from the Yel~ow River, however, it will be necessary to repair the
protecting dikes before restoring the land to cultivation. In the area west of
the Crand Canal, the lakes have silted up until the water level is 1-1.5 meters
above that to the east of the canal. If the lakes west of the canal can be
draihed into the saline areas east of the canal, two advantages will result.
Un the one hand, the lake beds will be changed into productive land; and, on
the ocher hand, fresh water will be provided to remove the salt from saline
soil. Before this can be done, however, a detailed survey must be made and
plans devised.
5? The Hou-li, T'ien-chu, and Lan?ya hill areas in northern Anhwei are
at elevations of 400-1,500 :peters above sea level. The rolling hills si?ound
Ning-p'u are about 200 meters above sea level and the Chiu-hua, Ch'i-men, and
T'un-hsi hill areas in southern Anhwei are about 1,000 meters above sea level.
In many of tk:,;se areas, the people make a practice oP burning off the hillsides
to clear the land and after many years of this the fertility of the soil has
been greatly reduced. These illogical methods must be dealt with drastically.
How to utilize terracing and strip planting and the combination of farming with
forestry and reforestation must be studied.
6. The shore lands along rivers and lakes are composed of alluvial soils
and are therefore very fertile. However, much of this land must be used to
retain flood water and is not available for agricultural use. Arta of available
land is as folloxs:
Location
No of Mou
Along the Chin Shui in Hopeh
100,000
The Tung-t'ing Hu basin in Hunan
700,000
The P'o-nati basin in southern Kiangsu
300,000
The An-Ch'ing lowland in Anhwei
1,000,000
The lake and river shore lands of Kiangsu
500,000
7. Western Kiangsi was severely affected by the war with the result that
there has been a labor shortage and cultivated lan3 has fallen into disuse. This
is even more true in southxestexn and eastern Kiangsi where there are strips of
unused land mixed in with cultivated fields. Chi-an, An-fu, ~P'a~-ho. Wan-an,; and
Sn3=ch'uan hsiens all have large areas of uncultivate3 red soil lands. This soil
is acid and lacks organic material so it will be necessary to fertilize with lime
nitrates and phosphates to increase production. In the hill region around Huang-
ch'ang, Nan-feng, Nan-ch'eng, and Li-ch'uan hsiens there is a comparable area of
unused land which is suitable for reforestation and the growing of hay to supple-
ment the limited crop production.
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8. The northwestern Fukien mountain area includes Chung-an, T'ai-ning,
Chien-ning, Ch'ing-liu, Ning-yang
Min
-hsi
Chi
,
g
,
en-yang, and Shao-wu hsiens.
Elevations are from 800 to 2,000 meters above sea level and the topography is
very rugged with swift mountain streams everywhere. The land is suitable for
forestry and grazing and a~limited amount of small-scale agriculture.
9? The northern Kwangtung mountain area includes Lien Hsien, Lien-shah,
Ying-te, and Yang-span hsiens. Elevations are from 400 to 1,000 meters above
sea level and the soil is red attd acid and suitable for growing tong trees and
fruit trees. A small amount of small-scale farming can also be carried on.
SOME OPYNIONS OiI FUTURE OF LAND RFJCLI~?IATION
To achieve n planned development of agricultural production in the new
China and to solve the pressing problems of the people's livelihood, a compre-
hensive rational plan for utilization of the land is necessary. To set up
this plan it is necessary to have basic figures on the different types of land.
The land of China hzs been used for farming, forestry, and grazing for a very
long time but accurate figures on land use are still lacking. The figures avail-
able are no more than estimates and these apply largely to agricultural land
and neglect forest and grazing land.
The figure of 1,410,731,000 shih-moo of farm land was determined in 1946
on the basis of provincial reports which contained many discrepancies. In the
case of wasteland, it is even harder to make a comparison since the figures
range from 7,009,565,706 ares as determined by the Statistical Eureau of the
former government in 1941 to 21,448,1+11,000 ares according to an estimate by
0. E. Baker in 1918.
In the utilization of wasteland, it is not enough to know the amount and
distribution of land; it is also necessary to know whether or not it car. be
used, how to use it, what systems and techniques of cultivation are best and
what improvements are needed before the long-range productivity of the land can
be developed. pt present, detailed figures on natural conditions in wasteland
areas are available only for such places as the northern Kiangsu saline area,
the Po Hai coast, Suiyiian, and areas west of the Yellow River. In other places,
figures are incomplete or lacking altogether. Surveys of wastelands are there-
fore urgently needed to provide sound topographical maps, soil maps, weather
data, water data, biological information, etc. On the basis of these 3ata,
plans can be laid and rational utilization made of the land.
It must be reali.:ed that utilization of wastelands involves forestry and
grazing as well as farming. Large-scale reclamation operations must take into
consideration the folloxing: (1) provision and distribution of capital, (?_)
acquisition and control of land and determination oP boundaries. (3) construc-
tion and repair of buildings and roads, (4) irrigation and drainage installa-
tions, (5) improvements in sanitation, (6) facilities for defense, (7) trans-
portation of new settlers and allotment of funds, (8) advancement of agricul-
ture; (9) promotion of forestry, grazing, and aquatic production, (10} organi-
zation of cooperative societies end purchase and sale of commodities, (11) es-
tablishment of medical facilities, (12) promotion of educational and cultural
activities, (13) irtroduction of handicraft industries, (14) arrangements for
simple industries, etc.
In developing mountain lands, the effect on lowlands must be taken into
account. The removal of natural coven from slopes can allow erosion of the top-
soil and excessive silting up of streams and rivers. For this reason, use of
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land on slopes must be subject to certain restrictions. Similarly, the use of
fertile shore lands along rivers, lakes, and the seacoast must be controlled so
that the construction and repair of dikes and emban?anents will not intensify the
effects of floods. Three methods of flood control are as folloxs:
1. Reserve a portion of the land as flood-control reservoirs. Winter
crops such as wheat or beans can be planted in these areas so that one harvest
may be obtained.
2. Provide :or the opening of sluice gates to flood certain areas at times
of high water. This w311 result in the loss of a crop but if nine good crops
can be harvested for each one lost it will be worth while.
3. Carry out control measures along the upper courses of the rivers to
reduce the height of floods.
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Present-day expansion has been carried out by two methods, cooperative mnn-
aRement and collective management. Cooperative management has been used in the
old liberated areas an3 shculd serve as a model for the new areas. Collective
management is most easily used in opening up previously undeveloped land where
the problem of requiring people to give up their own land does not arise.
The selection and training of cadres and set*lers are mn,j~r factors in
successful development of uew land. People must be ii:formed of the difficulties
to be encountered and the proper means of overcoming them.