Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1856-08-09

Decemoeti aIler the Tree has shed its leaves,
they cut off the branches about three feet in
length, and tie them up in bundles. They are
then boiled in ley of ashes in covered ket.
tie, till the bark is so shrunk that half an inch
OF the wood may be seen projecting at either
end Of the branch. When they have become
cool, the bark is stripped of ard soaked in
water three or four hours until it becomes sofi.
when the fue black skin is scraped off with a
knife. The coarse bark is then separated from
the fine, the new branches make the finest pa
/ per. The bark is then boiled again in fresh
ley, continually stirred with stick, and fresh
water from time TO time is added 1t is then
put in a sieve and taken TO a brook. and here
the bark is necessarily stirred until il becomes
fine pulp. II is then thrown into water. and
separates in the form Of meal This is put in
TO small vessel with decocton of ice and a
species of Hibiscus, and stirred until ii has at
tained a Iolerable cousistence. 1t is then pour
ed into a larger vessel, from whence it is taken
out and put in the form of sheets or mats or
grass straw these sheets are laid one upon an
other with straw between, and pressed to force
the water out After this they are spread upon
boards in the sun, dried, cut, and gathered into
bundles for sale. This paper will better en-
dure folding, and last longer than ours.
LEATHER.-They convert the skins Of certain
animals into this article ; but, as we have stat
ed on previous page, all those who have any
thing 10 do with the making or vending Of lea
iher are outcas,s from all the rest Of the popu-
lation, and universally prescribed. They new
er apply the article as we do, TO making shoes,
or other coverings for the feet. They hardly
ever wear shoes or slippers that are not made
of planed straw. Thunberg says the shoes
are always the shabbiest part Of the dress Of
the japanese. As they are of straw, they con-
seqnently last but little time. But they are
made in immense numbers, cost but tIille. and
may be bought in every town and village in
the empire. The pedestrian, therefore throws
away the old pair by the roadside, and buys
new ones as he goes along. while the more
provldeni man takes two or three pairs with
him on starting. Immense numbers of these
discarded shoes may be found on the sides of
all the roads. In wet weather they wear un-
der the shoe wooden clog, which is attached
10 the foot by ties of plated straw Diqni,a-
ries sometimes wear slippers made Of fine rat
tan slips neatly plated.
AGRlcuLruRE.-Japa is very mountainous,
as we have already stated but, with the ex-
ception of that portion of the ground covered
by the roads, aud by the woods LEFT TO supply
timber and charcoal, nearly every foot Of ground.
TO the very tops OF tie mountains, is cultivated.
OF animals to assist in culture they have the
horse, OK, and large species of buffalo, which
they train 10 draw carts and carry heavy goods
on The back. They plow with both the OK and
COW. OF milk and butter they make no use.
When they cannot use cattle to plow, as on the
steep sides of hills, men are substituted and
sometimes the plow 10 laid aside, and all the
labor in preparing the earth is done by hand
Generally, their soil is rather poor but BY
means Of the immense labor they besiow upon
it, by irrigation, and especially by the use of
manures, which thoy understand well, they
make very large crops.
Their chief graia is rice. of which they are
said to produce the best in all Asia They
also make barley and wheat. The first is used
for feeding The cattle the other is not much
valued, aud is chiefly used for cakes aud soy.
This last is made by fermening, under ground,
wheat with peculiar kind of bean and salt.
HonTIouLTuRE.-ln this department the
Japanese are very skilful. They possess the
art, in a wonderful degree, either of dwarfng,
or Of unnaturally enlarging all natural produc-
,ions. As au evidence Of the first, may be
seen in the miniature gardens of the towns,
perfectly mature trees, of various kinds, not
more than three feet high, and with heads
about three feet in diameter. These dwarled
trees are often placed in flower pots. Fischer
says that he saw in box, four inches long,
one and half wide, and six 10 height, bam-
boo, FIR, and plum tree, all thriving, and
the latter in full blossom. As proofs of the
last, Meylan tells US that he saw plum.irees
covered with blossoms, each Of which was four
times the size Of the cabhage-rose it produced
no fruit, however. He also saw radishes
weighing from fifty to sixty pounds, and those
Of fifteen pounds were not at all uncommon. -
The fir trees are represented as being forced to
an enormous size we are told thai the branch
es, at the height Of seven or eight feet from
the ground, are led out, sometimes over ponds,
aud supported upon props, so that they give a
shade around the tree three hundred feet in d.
ameter. The cedar, also, is tree which
reaches great size.
INTERNAL TRADE BY LAND AND WATER
This is large, resulting from the variety of
produce afforded by the variety of climate, and
from the immense population. In many places,
town joins on to town, and village to village,
for miles, so that the road looks like coninu-
ed street K@mpier thus speaks of the popu-
latiOn: ''The country is indeed populous be-
yond expression, and one would scarcely think
ii possible that, being no greater than it is, it
should, nevertheless, maintain and support such
a vast number of inhabitants. The highways
are almost one continued line Of villages and
boroughs. You scarce come out Of one, but
you enter another, and you may travel many
miles, as il we're, in one street, without know
ing it to be composed Of many villages, save by
the differing names that were formerly given
them, and which they after retained, though
joined to one another. Il hath many towns,
the chief whereof may, Of a certainty, vie with
the most considerable in the world for largeness,
magnifcence, and number Of inhabitants. -
Kempfer says Of Jeddo, that he was one whole
4 -