University of Nanking - Linguist Yearbook (Nanking, China)

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60 44 :PHE in A CHRONOLOGY OF FAMINES Exutractsufrom a chapter of the official Gazetter of Nanhsuchow, Anhwel Province, China. Chow Dynasty B. C. 591 570 Han Dynasty B. C. 48 Ching Dynasty A. D. 318 319 Sung Dynasty A. D. 960 962 Chin Dynasty A. D. 1216 Ming Dynasty A. D. 1482 1493 1509 1523 1525 1535 1536 1618 1640-41 Tsing Dynasty 1649 1651 1659 Famine. Famine. Flood summer and fall, houses and lives de- stroyed. Locusts destroyed crops Locusts destroyed crops Famine. Famine. Locusts. Dry. people hungry and sick. Too much rain and snow, without fuel for tire from fall to next spring. Too dry in the summer, locusts cover the sky great famine and men eat one another. Summer dry, fall too much rain, great famine until 1524, men eat one another. Spring rain hurt all wheat and barley, sum- mer dry, locustsg In fall locusts appear- ed again. Dry until 1533 and locusts and people ran away. Hwai River flooded. Summer too much rain till May 1537, Rain and snow never stop. All wheat and 'barley crops hurt, a bundle of fuel cost 1000 cash- , Summer too much rain, fall dry, locusts ap- peared, all rice and bean crops failed, great famine. Dryness and flood alternate, great pestilence followed, whole population ran away, al- most none was left.e Sun eclipsed on first day of the 10th moon Earthquake on 15 day of 2nd moon. Heavy rain fall for twenty days, rivers flood- ed and houses destroyed, famine..

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FAMINES THEIIR PREVENTION. 59 missions under the International Famine Relief Commission in coope- ration with the Provincial or National governments. These projects will affect principally the deltas of the large rivers of North China. The improvement of the economic status of the rural population falls naturally into two general lines of activity, namelyg the improvement Of agricultureand the reforestation of the wide areas of non-agricul- tural land, and affects the extensive river basins. t While the river control and training projects may be directed by foreign and Chinese engineers in cooperation, the application of me- asures for tl1e improvement of agriculture and reforestation must be done principally by trained Chinese personnel. This calls for a pro- gram such as has been worked out by the College of Agriculture and Forestry of the University of Nanking. It demands a trinity of effort, Research, Education and Extension. Some of the important flclivities in which Chinese must be trained areg the sinkingof-wells fWater Supply Geologyj 3 irrigation works Clrrigation Engineeringj g road construction lCivil Engineeringjz improvement of farm crops tAgronomyjg protection of crops from insects and fungi fEconomic Entomology and Plant Pathologyl improvement and extension of the cultivation of tree fruits C1-Iorticulturey 5 the production of fuel wood and industrial timber cn the hill and mountain lands Qliorestryj and the creation of rural credit and savings banks QRural Economicsj Research is needed to determine the scientific methods applicablelg Education to train the Chinese workers and Extension to secure the application of the measures over extensive regions. The funds remaining unused from the last famine and allocated for these purposes are making possible a substantial beginning on this tremendous problem of permanent famine prevention in China, but to be effective withinQ a reasonable time the Chinese effort must be guided and supplemented by foreign support and personnel. The Challenge is clear cut,-to prevent another famine from flood or drought. W. C. L. l l A C0untryman's Home

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A CHRONOLOGY OF FAMINES 61 1673 - Summer heavy rainfall for two months, famine. 1681-87 River Hooded continually for seven years and heavy rainfall continued also-people ran away from home-famine. 1692 Locusts Flew, covering the sky-famine. 1697 Spring drought, autumn heavy rain fall, rivers llooded--famine. 1706 Spring heavy snow, summer heavy rain fall and famine. 1709 March flood, too much rain in the fall, rivers flooded, destroyed thousands of houses- famines roots of grasses and bark of trees all eaten up The prices very high, dead along the roads. 1741 lfloocl continued during summer and autumn, famine. , 1742 Heavy rainfall through out May, no rice 1756 U crop-famine. 1756 Famine - pestilence - dead seen along the roads. 1785 Drought in the spring and locusts appeared abundantly. Famine in thc falland winter. 1786 Famine and pestilenee in the spring, good harvest and wheat in the summer. 1796 Famine. 1804 liamine in the spring. Yellow river flooded in the summer. 1833 Famine. 1843 G Famine. 1852 Summer rain over two months-all crops submerged. Peach trees flower in the 1 fall, famine. 1856 Drought in summer, locusts appeared abun- dantly. 1857 Famine in spring, heavy rain fall in autumn- all lields submerged. 1863 Famine. . 1867 Famine. 1887 Good crops 1888 Crops not prosperous. End. Note: The above list was compiled from a much longer chronology in which floods, earthquakes good harvests and droughts are recorded. Only those items, with a few exceptions, containing the translation of famine were selected for this list. The -famine of 1878-79 is' not listed but the years of 1875-76 are Credited with drought and the years 1876-77 are credited with locusts. The year 1878 is omitted.