The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-11-30
Irrigation In japan.

In NIL parts of the mountains and in the
foothills. at the sources and along the
line of the streams. there are immense
reservoirs for the storage of water in the
rainy season. BY this means the over
flow of the lower lands in the wet months
is to, some extent rr ,vcn!ed, and the
supply in the dry months is supplement-
ed. The bitches fo.. irrigation are al
ways SO constructed rs to be q means of
drainage when there is an excess of rain.
BY this means the supply of water to the
farmer is equalizcd through the whole
year. Another necessary result is &C.
complished the health of the irrigated
districts for plants and people is con-
served. Drainage for these purposes is
ust as i'm "ortant in any country as irri-
ga ion. The japanese system is perfect
in three important particulars, viz,
storage Of water, distribution of water
to the land, and the drainage of the irri-
gated lands. That irrigation has been
proved there to be of incalculable bene-
fit is shown by the GRO , rate
throug the VIII lie Empire. 1t is within
bounds to say that n japanese farmer
raises more from one acre of his land
than = California farmer does from five
acres.
1t is true that much of the land there
has two crops & year-one IN the summer
and one in winter. In many places in
that island empire the soil has yielded
two crops n year for , 1000 years. and tho
productive capacity of the soil is greater
now than ever That is in marked con-
t'ast to the result Of land skinning in
the United States. In the spring a piece
OF land will be sown to rice, which is
the great staple crop. The rice is har-
vested in October, with an average crop
rate of fifty bushels to the acre: and
right on tho hes of the reaper follows
the spade end mattock, preparing the
land for n crop of wheat, barley or rye.
These latter crops are sown in October
AMI November and are harvested in
April or May, with an average crop rate
Of forty bushels of barley to tho mere.
In order to maintain through hundreds
of years such n crop rate, fertilizat on is
of the utmost importance. In fact thai
is tho great problem for the farmer to
solve. Unlike this and European com
tries, tn, farmer has no BARNARD fertili-
zers. The people eat neither beef, pork.
mutton, butter, milk nor cheese. Cat
tie and horses are used only for purposes
of packing. With a population Of g.
ooo,VUu, mere arc less n l,VUO. OUU
head o. horses and 1000, 900 head of
cattle. and no sheep or swine.
Under these circumstances the question
of feriili 'ers is of the first Importance.
Experience has taught these people. that
irrigation is nm important means of fertili,
Zation. It has been demonstrated that
irrigated lands require only about two
thirds as much fertilization as non.ir-
rigated lands. AS an evidence of what
thorough tillaee, combined with irrign.
ton and drainage, has done there. il
needs only to be stated that Japan has
under tillage only ~, 900. 900 acres; that
from these 10. 900, 900 acres 80. 900. OOO
people are clothed and fed. More than
that is done; 40, 600, 900 rounds of tea,
silk to the value Of several million dol,
lars. and large quantities of tobacco and
rice are annually exported. Such result.
speak more than volumes o. what thor
ough tillage, supplemented by irriea.
ton, q do even in a country with sixty
to 100 inches of rainfall. San Francisco
Chronicle.