, 1875-06-26
An Interview with Con. Capron, Just
from the Mikado's Dominiona.
Showing What 1Ic Did in tho
Island Of IczzO.
And How He 0aused It to Rsjoioe and Bios
som Like tho Rose,
Wonderful! Successes III Agriculture and Aof.l'
culture.

Capron Was, prorioua to tho War, known by Ills
devotion to agriculture and the services lie llad
rendered In tho Rciontff1o branch OF It. Ilis
farm nuh bis experiments woro known all over
the conut:y, and Mr.. Capson was gentleman Of
national reputation.
Dunrsa THE WAR
he raised the Fourtoonth illinois Cavalry negi.
nnent1 In which eHo Of tliH sous served. Ono OF
taom was killed in battle. The ether still liyos.
Col. Capron served With distinction. and WAS
promoted to the rank Of Dtigaafer Goneral At
the cloeo OF tho War, President Lincoln appotnt-
ed him to position to which ho WAS omincntly
fitted, namely, tho
lead or THE Aoh1CU1TunAr. DEPARTMENT..
Flvo yeats ago the Japanese Government ap-
piled to the American Government for tho Ser
.icos Of Gen. Capron to bring Ills agricultural
knowledge TO bear upon the
Is1Ayn Of YEzzo.
Jessp, or IIaka!do, ono of tho group OF istAnds
which form tho Japanese territory. II ltea d.
rectly north Of tho 1nain islnnd, aud almost all
Of 1t between tho A2d and 45th degroos of Iat,-
tude. Tho nrea Of tho island ts $4,000 squaro
mf1os,-oquAt to that OF Indiana Tho poputa-
tion, howeyer, ia very scalty, boing yariously
estimated from 10000 by tho NON American
Cyelopnd!a to 25o,o00 By Con. Capron. Eyon
tho latsoe figure ts wonderfully small Tho
county las hithorso Lad the reputation Of pos
scasinH
A BIDERrAH CLIMATE.
Tho English agents aod traders havo mis-
represented It ~ land Of Ice and sllow, Of
rocKy surface aud worthless soil. Current rc-
pors made 1t = desert Hitherto thero haH boen
NO EMIGRATION
from any part Of tho Empire to this spot.
Fishermen have lived upon it shoreB, but never
penetrated into its interior. In all tho varied
ftI
torritory las been quietly ignored The Hoa he-
tween Yezzo aud the rnnin island ponrs through
tho narrow strait with tho
VELOCITY or 4 WHIRLPOOL,
and d[BcourngeB Japanese adventure. It Was In
tho hopo Of doing something to populate tho
island that tlo Government wished ths services
Of Gen. Capron.
AN INTERVIEW WITH HrN
solla the facta Of tho eaao bclter than anY other
method. It was substantially as follows:
Reportcr-Whst was your position under the
Government
Con. capron-They had no Agricultural De-
psrtmeus, and 40 oface was made for me. was
COMMISSIONER AND ADyIsEn
OF tho Governor.
Iseporsor-Of whom did yonr party oonsist7
Gou. CtpEou-Thcra wefo q geooRlst, minor
a'oRlat practical engineer, aud other scientlilc
parsons, who have lonlalaca in tho Empire.
1toporter-f1ow did you find the climate sgreo
with tho roports you had heayt
Gen. Capton-1n no way. Tho climate had
boon represented as uncomfortable. il was said
to be too cold for agricultural purpdRoa. and tho
trying TO cultivate anything. On tho contrary,
found TINT for at lcaat nine years tho t1esmotn-
eter haa never fallen a. low AZ EURO, mud that the
climate waa
1r NO MEAssAH SEVERE
aH that Of most OF this continent. From q ia
pancaH punt OF vicT 1t WhB cold. but from an
American mild-certainty wasmes than the Now
England Btates and Illinois. 1t resembles that
Of Ohio. Tho first frost III tho lower end Of tho
island did not occur until tho 2Gth Of October
It VAS reported that frost hhd occurred on tho
10th Of September, but That was ut tho extremo
nortl ot tho island, Tho winters uose not
s0yete.
GREAT DEAL or SNOW
fell overv Wintort but. tho cold wns uover in
tense. The surrounding wnsora temper 1t.
loportor-Wllat wAa your t'sst ster2
Gen. Capron-To orier a preliminary survey
Of the island. which was rich in results.
COAL WAR FOUND
ta vast deposits Of millions Of tons navigAble
streams wore encountored ID close proximity to
tnon. and timber aauds and rich valleys. Gold
had been vaguely spoken OF too.
nepostc5-Aow far ara the Goa! deposits from
the coase /?
Gen. Capsou-Ihe groatest coal-bed lies about
80 miles from the coast. 4 river, nayigablo for
vesasls drawing "a feet Of water, flows
WITHIN 10 A1LEa
Of tho bod, and ttamwaY OF that length alons
would bo necessary To make II available.
T1ore is range Of mountains running north
and south noar tho nest coast. Parallel with
then, in \ loug. deep valloy, about 30 miles wide
and several hundreds Of u'ilca long,
WoSpERfuLLf fAulTYuL4
and adapted to culslv~tion. 1t Ia wooded With
aonlo Of tho best timber In tho world.
1seporter-I understand you took over num-
ber Of oEr domestic anin,ala to Introduce into tho
Island. How did they faro ?
Gen. Caprcn-I found ii necessary to make
slattou for my animals, cereals, aud fruit -treea
10 Nippon. Az noedcd tho anfmals aud frtits
for the settlements wo established, was able to
send for thon1. AB
EMIGRATION 1xcnzAszp.
the demand for annuals, gram, aud fruit-troes
was supplied iron, the nursery,
Mopostetn;Shat te.i did you lake With you In tho
den. Capron-EycrythIne grown In the United
Bsates. AL varieties Of cotn mud wheat, gsAssoa
Of ali varieties, and fruitB aud berrIea,
Reporter-uow dld the corn do2
Gen. capzon-AdmIrablY. It WAS late whom
re put III the :irat CROP and was not sanguino
lnatused, aud
YIELDED CAPITAL. cnor.
every variety tried.
heportor-And tho wheat?
Gun. Caprou-Did equally wel Ihave never
Heen any whont In the Untcl B.ates TO suspaBa
that Which wo raised OIL tho 1slapd Of fozzo.
Hepotter-Do hll varieties thrive oqually?
Ths wheat was seeded late Ia tho season. but,
like tho corn. hsreeably disappointed Us.
Reporter-And tho EEasses soo7
0an: capron.Cloyer sud other gTanoes were
not behind ns all.
IepoE!or-You took aome fruis-tseyu, too, did
you not
Gen. Capron-1 took 16o, 600 young tsoea of
several sss!e!ios.-apples. pears, poaehes. and
cherries, and berries also.
JAPAN HAu no FRUIT
to speak of. IHerD ara Coma fnoF pYanAa snd