Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Technical Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Reports and White Papers 6-1-1949 Introducing Agricultural Engineering in China Edwin L. Hansen Howard F. McColly Archie A. Stone J. Brownlee Davidson Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/abe_eng_reports Part of the Agriculture Commons, and the Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering Commons Recommended Citation Hansen, Edwin L.; McColly, Howard F.; Stone, Archie A.; and Davidson, J. Brownlee, "Introducing Agricultural Engineering in China" (1949). Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Technical Reports and White Papers. 14. http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/abe_eng_reports/14 This Report is brought to you for free and open access by the Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Technical Reports and White Papers by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Introducing Agricultural Engineering in China Abstract The ommittC ee on Agricultural Engineering in China. was invited by the Chinese government to visit the country and determine by research and demonstration the practicability of introducing agricultural engineering techniques, and to assist in advancing education in the field of agricultural engineering. The program of the Committee was carried out under the direction of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and the Ministry of Education of the Republic of China. The program was sponsored by the International Harvester Company of Chicago, assisted by twenty- four other American firms. Disciplines Agriculture | Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering This report is available at Iowa State University Digital Repository: http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/abe_eng_reports/14 Introducing AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING in China The Committee on Agricultural Engineering in China. was invited by the Chinese government to visit the country and determine by research and demonstration the prac­ ticability of introducing agricultural engineering tech­ niques, and to assist in advancing education in the field of agricultural engineering. The program of the Committee was carried out under the direction of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and the Ministry of Education of the Republic of China. The program was sponsored by the International Harvester Company of Chicago, assisted by twenty- four other American firms. Edwin L. Hansen Howard F. McColly Archie A. Stone J. Brownlee Davidson, Chairman Chicago, Illinois June I, 1949 . ;,.:: ·: .... ·.:· .:: .. ii CONTENTS PAGE FOREWORD. vi !. THE ORIGIN AND OBJECTIVES OF THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING 1. Reconstruction Plans for China .. , . ... , l. The Relation of Engineering to Agriculture .. 3, Chinese and American Agriculture Compared . ...... • 4. Objectives for A g riculture. • .• • .... 5. Machines and the Well- being of the Farmer .. , , •. .• . • . 6 . Employment. .. .........••.•. 7, Objectives of the Educational Program in Agricultural Engineering in China .. , 8. Methods Used by the Committee . 9. Equipment.•... 10. Term of Service .. .. • •........ II. INSTITUTIONS WITH WHICH THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING WAS ASSOCIATED 1. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry ..... , . 9 l. The Ministry of Education ... , , •.. .......• . , , • . • . <; 3. The National Agricultural Researc h Bureau .. , .• , . , . 9 4 . NaUonal Central Univers;ty . , . , , , , , , , , • , , , , , 11 5. The University of Nan.king . , . • . , •. .•. , . 11 6. Other Institutions and Agencies. , , , , ....• , , , . , .. , . 11 7, Travel in China . , , , , , . , , , .. , , , . , , , , , . ll III. CHINESE AGRICULTURE AND ITS RELATION TO TRANS ­ PORTATION, MANUFACTURING, AND MINERAL RESOURCES 1. Agricultural Geography, Population, Arable Land, and Animal Production. , . • . • • . • • . • • • . • . 17 Z. Agricultural Regions of China. , , .•... •.. , .. , . • . 23 3. Agriculture and Transportation.•• , . , . • . • . 35 4. Agric ulture and Manufacturing , . , . , . , • , , , , , . 4g 5 . Agriculture and Development of Natural Resources 54 6. Rural Life and lts Relation to Economic and Political Stability. 58 IV. RESEARCH AND DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM OF THE COMMITTEE 1. Need for Research .. , . , •... , .. , ....•....... .. , 6 i l. National Agricultural Research Bureau . 61 3 . Department of Agricultural Engineering . 63 4, Facilities for Research in Agricultural Engineering at the National A g ricultural ,R~s.ea.rch .Bureau, .. , .. , 63 . '.\":." .:'.".. ' .... ·::. ~.:_ _.: .... " S760, C6 c 73a.. iii 194-9 PAGE V. REVIEW OF RESULTS OF RESEARCH AND DEMONSTRATION 1. Organization of Research Program . .... , . , , , ..... 73 2. List o( Research and Demonstration Projects . , ...•. 73 3. Sample Project Outline ....... ... 75 4. Training Farm Mac hinery and Tractor Operators , , , , .. , . 77 5. Field Tests of Farm Machines and Implement Research .... 79 6, Wheat Production ...... 94 7. Cotton Production .. .... , .. , 96 8. Rice Production .• .. 97 9. Corn and Bean "Production . ....• , • • , •. , . , .•. IOZ 10. Summary of Crop Production Studies .. , . .. .. • , , .. l06 II. Well Drilling. , . , . .... 107 IZ. Irrigation and Drainage Pumping ..... , . , .. ....•. , .. l07 13. Processing Farm Crops , . , . .. , . ... , . , . 108 VI. THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM l. Kinds of Training Needed .. , , , , . .. , ..... 116 l. National Central University Curriculum in Agricultural Engineering ... •...... .... .. • ••. I 19 3 . The University of Nanking ..... , ... IZO 4 . National Central University . , .. IZ5 5. Other Institutions. ... , . 133 137 ~: ~h~~e~:~ti:~YS:;1~~:t!o~~l.~~r·k·o·f .t~e. ~~~t~e.e:::::::: 140 VII. HARVESTER FELLOWSHIPS l. Selection of Students !or Fellowships. • . 143 l. Addition of Technical Training , . 143 3. Practical Training on Farms . 143 4. Practical Training with Dealers and Distributors.. • . l5Z 5 . Practical Training in the Factories. .. , . I 5Z 6. Employment in China . • . l 5Z 7. Positions Secured by Harvester Fellows. .•.. , . 156 8. Agricultural Engineering Trainees . ... , . 158 Vlll. THE SELECTION OF FARM MACHINERY l. Manual Implements .. .. .. .... .. , . , ..• • . , . 159 l . Harvesting Implements . .. , .. , . • . 161 3. Threshing Implements .•. , . 163 4. Miscellaneous Implements ....... , . .•. , 163 5. Improving Implements . ..... .• • . , . , . 163 6. Wheel Hoes. • . • . • . 164 7. Capacity of Hand implements . .. , . 164 8. Animal-Drawn Implements, . I66 9. Tillage Implements .......... , . , . .... , . 166 10. Planting Machines . .......• , • .. , .•.• . , . 169 l l . Threshing Machines .. , , , . , . .• , . , . , . , . • . , . 169 ll . Transportation . .. , .. , . , . , . 169 iv PAGE 13. Capacity. • . ... .......•. 169 14. Labor Required to Produce Crops .•....• . 172 15. Modern Animal-Drawn Implements...... , .... , .. 172 16. Garden Tractors ... , . , ... , .. 173 17. Farm Tractors and Implements ..... .. , ...... .• . 176 18. Crops. ..... , . .• ... ... 177 19. Fields . , . , . • . , . 180 20. Classifying Farm Machinery . , .. .. • .. , . ~ . ..•.. 180 21. Farm Enterprise Situations ... , . .......... , • . , .. 183 22. Lists of Machinery. ...• .. , •. , . , ...• , , . 184 Farmall Cub System . ....................... 191 Farmall Super A System.......•. , . •.... , .• , • . , 193 Farmall C System. .. ... , . , •.•.•.•. , 195 Farmall H System, . .. .. ...... , .•.. 196 Fa,rmall M System. .. ....... , •.. .. 197 IX. SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION l . Chinese Land. • . • . , . • . 199 l . Classification of Soils .. , , .. , . , ...... , , . , .. .• , . 199 Za. Terracing .. .. , ........... .. .... .. , . , . • 203 3. lrdga\ion . • . • . • . • . 204 4 . Irrigation from Streams . • . • . 204 5. Shallow Well Irrigation . • . • . • . 207 6. Deep Well lrdgation. 207 7. Lifting Irrigation Water.. 208 8. Water Ladder . , . .. , .. , , , • , . • 208 9. Archimedes Screw Pwnps .....•. • .• , , . , . • 2.10 10. Mechanical Pumps ..... , . • . • . • . • . 210 11. Windmills. ...•........ , . , ... , , . 211 12.. Drainage. ..•.. , . , , • , , . • . • . • . 211 X. RURAL HOUSING AND SANITATION l. Chinese Rural Housing . ..•.••. .. .• . •. ... 213 2. Demonstration Houses , . .. , .•. •...• . •.• , , .•... 213 3. Storage Buildings. , .•... , .. •. , , • , , . , • 216 4. Grain Dryer , . , .. , .. .. , , . 216 5. Tests of Building Materials , . •• , .• .. .•.•.. , . , 216 6. Sanitation . .. 220 7. Community Buildings 220 XI. SPECIAL TOPICS A. Reorganization of Chinese Agriculture . 221 B. The Fuel Problem . ....... , , • . • . 222 C. Development of Rural and Village Industries. , .. , , , . • . 223 1. History . , . 224 2. Contemporary Types of Industry in China ... , 225 3. Some Specific Rural Industries .............. , . 227 4. Relation of Home Industries to Modern Factories. 228 PAGE 5. Chinese Industrial Cooperatives--A Wartime Development . .. 230 6. Agricultural Engineering in Mo.iern Rural Industry . 233 7. Research .. 233 8. O r ganization and Guidance . .... ... 236 9. Design, Development, and Improvement of Farm Equipment Made in Rural Factories ...... 236 D. Soil Fertility and Fertilizers . 236 I. Maintenanc-e of Soil Fertility ... 236 2. Kinds of Fertilizers Used in China ... 237 3. Some Typical Methods of Preparing and Using Natural Fertilizers. ........ 243 4. Use of Commercial Fertilizers in China , . 245 5 . Labor Requirements