St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-09-03
Farmers in Japan.

Farmers in Japan.
] came to spend this summer vaca-
ton with Mr.. G.. w. Leitch of Ryegate,
owing very much to his kindness.
Strange and happy times are these. |
cast aside all irksOme forms and
strai ght-laced habitudes, and deliver
mysclf up to- the free air, to live like "A
verdant Vermont youth. This is the
first time that ! ever lived on farm
so that, | am having the accumulation
of new experiences daily. | learned
that cattle are called by crying,
Come boss :" Come boss !" that the
horse is urged by saying,-"Git up,
Johnny, git up" When Johnny is
obstinate and whip is wanting, ex-
perience instructed mt to reach for
ward and strike him with the reins.
But further experience warned me
against my own hats being knocked
oil hy the loose ends of the reins, and
crushed into the dirt under the ponder
Gus wheels. The philosophy of
making butter creaming, churnlng,
squeezing, preserving all new to
me. declare, without eXaggeratiOn,
that have the same feeling on this
discovery us that of NewtOn's when he
conceived the law of universal gravi-
tatinn. Having arrived in haying
season, learned the uses of rakes and
pitch forks, and made even the extra
experiment of tumblng down from the
load. Living among these evirOn-
ments l cannot but reflect upon the
agriculture of Japan, my country.
Probably you will he interested in the
accounts.
Agriculture seems tn me to be the
principal occupation in this country,
and farmers the honorable members of
the society. Gen. Washington had
keen foresight in his statement, Gag
riculture is the foundation of the
country" In Japan, too, thoughtful
men gave farmers respectable posi-
ton III society. According to their
idea society was divided into four
castles viz, soldiers, farmers, manu-
facturers, and merchants. In the first
place, the country must be defended
against the attack from without, and
disturbance within by soldiers. Then
she must be provided with necessary
food by farmers. Next, manufacturers
l.
Merchants come lastly, for they can
not make things themselves, but sub |
sist on dealing with what the others
produced. In reality, however, tillage |
is avoided; farmers are despised. 1t
is simply because our farmers are very
ignorant. In former days the govern
ment appointed an influential man in
"A village for its chief called ''Shoya,"
and, if any trouble arose farmers
thrOnged around him for council.
Once the farmers of a certain viii |
lage were all invited to a banquet by
their lord. They, as vassals, could not
decline this great honor. Under tre-
NOR they enter a grand dining hall,
following like dumb driven cattle their
shoya, who was u little better than his
followers by an ounce of brain. They
were secluded from the city air; they
never Of course had any lesson ON eti-
quctte and decorum from horses and
cows, their only companions. Now
they could not learn them at once so
they were left to follow the example
nf the slOya in every thing in order to
keep the proPriety of the occasion.
suffered in the attempt not 10 sneeze
or yawn, what heed did they take in
silk lest their rough hands
make damage. Amid their amaze
fnent a number of dishes, filed with
the tlavOrs of land and sea, were Os-
arranged. We might
have seen many rubbing their eyes to
realize that it Was not mere dream.
With many mirth exciting bluuders,
most part ut the ceremony was finished
under the leadership of the shoya: and
nov, they we're seen administering the
loyal dinner into their wide opened
mouths with pairs of chopsticks. Ill
avn afraid that they devoured mnchI
more than their annual tributes paid.
Be it as it was, there happened an his
torical event. Mr.. ShOya, the geUtle-
man, took good hold of "A potato and
was showing it into thatlarge pit on the
lower part al his triangular face.
1T was too hot or To eat pota-
to first broke q rule am not aware
lac rolled it down to the floor, the con
uiinent leaving some fantastical marks !.