wheat is standing. But it grows rapidly, and as soon as the
wheat is out of the way, it covers great areas with its refreshing
green, looking in its earlier stages like young corn. It is of
two varieties. One is a little higher than wheat, with hanging
head and a small yellow grain. The other is the kao-liang,
which grows to a height of about twelve feet. When small, it
is thinned out to one stalk or sometimes two in a hill so that it
can develop freely. This stalk is to the common people almost
as serviceable as the bamboo to tropical dwellers. It is used
for fences, ceilings, walls and many other purposes. The grain
of the two varieties is the staple food, few but the richer
classes eating rice which is not raised in the north and is high
in price. A third species of millet, shu-shu, is used chiefly
for distilling a whiskey that is largely used but almost always
at home and at night so that little drunkenness is seen by the
traveller.

Fuel is very scarce, trees being few and coal, though
abundant, not being mined to any extent. So the people cook
with stalks, straw, roots, etc., and in winter pile on additional
layers of wadded cotton garments. Chinese houses are not
heated as ours are, though the flues from the cooking fire, running
under the brick kang, give some heat, too much at times.

Silk is produced in large quantities and mulberry trees are
so common as to add greatly to the beauty of the country. As
the cocoons cannot be left on the trees for fear of thieves, the
leaves are picked off and taken into houses where the worms
are kept.