Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1892-06-18
A LAND OF TINY IA N"SS us.
EOW THE MILLIONS OF JAPAN ARE
FED AND CLOTHED.

Thousands Emtgrattng to Foreign
Countries Primitive Method. In
Farming -Successive Crop. by Irri-
gation-Absence of Weeds-IIow Rice
| is Grown.
Japan is so cut up by mountain ranrc3
and almost impossible cliffs that Only one
| eighth of the whole area is suitable for
| cultivation. The country is 50 small and
| the population so great that the wonder
is that the people have managed to exist
| Mt all. But to the fact that tllnv have
lived and thrved their enormous num-
bers bear testimony. The high culiva-
ton of the land, the vegetarian diet OF
the people, together with the remarkable
staying power" of the race, hava made
the matter of existence comparatively
easy in ages past. But notwithstanding
| the power of resistance which is chnrac-
| teristic OF the people, there must be
limit to their endurance. The rapid in
crease of population together with the
| drain upon the resources of the country,
would surely in few years have resulted
in nothing less than contest with ar
city, if not an actual fight against famine.
But for the present, at least, the calam-
ity has been avcrted by the emigration
of thousands of japanese to the Hawai-
ian and other islands of the Pacific and
they are steadily seeking their way into
| the west coast ports of the two Amer
| iCas
The land under cultivation in Japan is
about 1S 900 900 acres, upon the product
| of which Al 900, 900 must be fed. 1t is
unnecessary to add that the farms are
small. The average farm is from one to
three acres, and a ten acre plot is consid-
cred large farm. The methods of culti-
vation, the succession of crops, and even
the kind Of machinery used, are the same
as they were nearly 1000 years ago. In
spite of the agricultural limitations, no
country in the world produces so much
per acre as Japan. The limit of cultiva-
ton was reac he'd long ago, but by a judi
cious use of fertilizers and skill in farm
ing that amounts almost to a genius, the
same average yield is obtainable year
after year.
The land is we'll suited to irrigation and
the water is abundant. Most of the land
is made up of plains. The numerous riv-
plains on their way to the sea are utilized
| tor purposes Of irrigation. The water is
| drawn to high elevations from which it
| overfows the land in channels Land is
SO valuable that no space is allowed for
| grass-plots, and it is a curious thing that
10 weeds are to be seen in any of the cul-
tivated plots in Japan. Every inch Of
| ground must be put to the most profitable
use. A few narrow paths are made in
the fields where absolutely necessary, but
| there are no roads, and consequently no
room for wheeled vehicles or machines.
Almost all the work of cultivation is done
| by hand, and the tools are models of SIM
| plicity. There is no room in the fields for
| drying sheaves, for the ground must DO
used Immediately after harvest for other
crops The corn sheaves are tied up in
| punches and securely fastened to houses,
| fences, and trees The ears are always
placed downward, so that the rain may
run off
In July the first crops are all harvested
and removed, and the fields are made
ready for rice. After the surface Of the
ground is carefully smoothed, it is COW
cred for depth of six inches with water.
| The water is conducted into the field Of
the highest elevation in the neighbor-
| hood, which it overflows, and then is
carried to the next field, few inches
| lower, and on through the whole series
! of fields to the lowest. If by chance any
of the fields can not be watered in this
way, another method is used. Water
! -, m tt,n hyy
means of treadwheels, placed in the
channels built for that purpose. The
weight Of the men who tread the wheels
is sufficient to throw the water up to
considerable height. The rice plants
are pulled out of their seed beds and
several stems are punched together and
pressed into the mud. The plants are
,rregularly placed to allow as abundant
a growth as possible. The men and wom-
en- who plant this aquatic grain stand
in the mud and water halfway up to
their knees all day long while the blister
ing rays Of the sun pour down upon their
bare heads. After a few weeks the
plants are ready to be puddled. The
mud must be pressed around each bunch
of plants, and weeks are spent by the
growers in the slushy fields again. The
water is gradually stopped and by the
time the rice corn is ready to be cut the
fields are fairly dry. Each bunch is cut
with hand sickle after the manner of
barley OF wheat, and the rice corns are
knocked off by hand. The grain is
bundled and carried from the fields by
the men and women. or strapped on the
back and sides of pony. Carts or other
conveniences are not used for the reasons
already given. The rice produced
amounts to about 17O, 900, 900 bushels per
year, or about four and one-half bushels
per capita. 1t is second in quality only
to that grown in Java or the Carolinas,
and, next to silk, is the principal export
of Japan. The japanese raise barley,
wheat, millet, rye, beans, rape-seed, egg
plant, lilies and diakons for local use, anS
| silk tea and rice for exDOrtatiOn