Walter Tennyson Swingle And Agricultural Exchange Between China And The United States,1915-1952

Agricultural communication between China and America is a valuable subject in the study of modern agricultural history.In modern society,the development of economy and science and technology made the connection between countries more and more close,and the agricultural exchange activities between China and the United States gradually began.Since the First Opium War in the 1840,China has entered a period of transformation and development,and the impact of Western science and technology on traditional Chinese society has deepened.Merchant,missionaries,scholars,government officials and other people who came to China introduced the Western science and technology into China,which had a profound impact on the development of science and technology in modern China.However,vast plant resources and rich historical agricultural experience of China have also entered the United States with the spread of communicators,inspiring the development of modern American agriculture.The agricultural exchange between China and the United States in modern time played a significant role in promoting the agricultural development of both countries,and had a far-reaching and extensive impact.Walter Tennyson Swingle(1871—1952),a plant pathology of the United States Department of Agriculture,started to investigate Chinese agricultural history,and played an important role in the exchange of plant planting resources between China and America,the translation and arrangement of Chinese agricultural literature,and the establishment of agricultural education in modern China.In 1891,Swingle was employed by the United States Department of Agriculture,and started his nearly half century`s exploration in agriculture.In 1910,Swingle began to cooperate with the Library of Congress to collect Chinese literature,and then gradually worked on the translation of Chinese agricultural literature.In 1920,Swingle established the cooperative work with the Library of the University of Nanking.He recommended Katharine Howes Wead,a Chinese translator of the United States Department of Agriculture,to come to China to assist the University of Nanking in the collation,translation and study of Chinese literature,which founded the Institute of Chinese Agricultural Civilization.From 1915-1926,Swingle visited China three times to search Chinese literature and collect plants.He also cooperated with the Agricultural College of Lingnan University and the Agriculture and Forestry College of University of Nanking in order to promote the formation of modern Chinese agricultural higher education system.The essential historical documents that set up this thesis are from the Walter Tennyson Swingle Collection collected by University of Miami,Archives of the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia,published by the Yale Divinity School,and the archives of the University of Nanking collected by the Second Historical Archives of China.Based on the first hand materials,this paper applies the methods of documentary combing,dialectical thinking and historical geography,and discusses Swingle’s participation in modern sino-american agricultural exchange activities.By analyzing the development of agriculture in modern China and America and Swingle`s early experience,we can find that the reason why Swingle participated in the agricultural communication between China and America is closely related to the social development and his personal background.Driven by internal and external factors,Swingle embarked on a trip to China for agricultural exchange activities,conducted plant collection,literature collection and cooperation with Chinese institutions.While collecting Chinese plants,Swingle actively introduced American agricultural germplasm resources into China in order to improve the situation of Chinese agriculture.The collection,research and collation of Chinese agricultural literature not only expanded Swingle`s understanding of Chinese agriculture,but also laid the foundation for the establishment of the Cooperative Work,University Library of Nanking.In the process of collecting plants and documents,Swingle also kept close contact with many Chinese scholars and institutions,and actively carried out exchanges and cooperation,leaving indelible traces in the development of higher agricultural education system in modern China.In a word,Swingle exactly played a very significant role in the history of agricultural exchange between China and the United State.The deep understanding of Chinese traditional agronomy and the respect for Chinese ancient civilization show Swingle’s role as a pioneer in the study of Chinese agricultural history.Swingle’s collection of Chinese plant and his initiative to introduce American plants into China also set him apart from the much criticized image of a “Plant hunter”.It also can reveal much more details in the process of agricultural science and technology exchange between China and the United States in modern times.In all aspects of the exchange of germplasm resources,the communication of science and technology and the establishment of education system,we can see that the agricultural relationship between China and America in modern society is very close.The participation of American scholars who respect and understand Chinese traditional agronomy and even Chinese society,culture and history as Swingle,is the major factor to the formation of this cooperation.It also inspires us that only on the basis of honesty,respect and understanding,can the exchanges be the best way of steady development of future society and agriculture.