New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-22
AGRICULTURE IN JAPAN.
MINIATURE FARMS CULTIVATED IN
MINIATURE WAY.
PRIMITIVE IMPLEMENTS AND METHODS AND
SMALL WAGEs-nIGH TAXES on FARM
LANDs-FREQuENT CROPS.
Kobe. japan. December ID.

When an American first comes to Japan he
IA Impressed by the small way in which every
thing IS done and especially In agriculture. Ihe
small fields, frequently not more than four
square rods in area; the little terraces, which
indicate changes Of level; the tiny aqueducts,
which defect the water from a mountain rivu-
let to the neighborng paddocks for irrigation:
the highway. scarcely three feet wide which
winds among these farms 10 the distant village,
and the little people at work TN the gardens or
In the rice harvest, convey the impression that
the primary purpose Of japanese agriculture Is
bit of landscape gardening and not the pro-
duction Of the food for nation. The japanese
people appear TO have considerable ability TO
adapt means TO end. and are as practical az
the Oriental mind will allow. A people filed
with Orientalism cannot make straight lines,
though demanded by utility where IT Is possible
10 make a graceful curve, and direct business
methods are confusing TO them. With this ex-
planatlon the agriculture OF Japan will be bet
ter understood.
little more than seven eigh Tbs OF the surface
OF Japan is taken up by mountains, mainly OF
type so bold as to prevent terracIng to any
great extent the remainder is taken up by the
valleys, which occasionally widen, az they ap-
proach the sea, into broad plains The sections
across these valleys were either naturally level
or have been made so to meet the wants Of till
age, for they mainly devoted to rice as far
as the encroaching mountains leave the sem
hlance OF valley Close to the base of the
mountain each side OF the valley a stone
aqueduct Is constructed to catch and divert the
descending rlvulets. Terraces are thrown across
the valley at such distances apart as will allow
each plot Of land TO be level and a small sluice
ic mad from rf1
Client water TO irrigate each terrace. Frequently
the aqueducts are simple bitches without stone
paving. except where they descend from one
level to another The valleys thus descend by
terraces till they reach the coast level Gener-
ally the smaller valleys merge into larger
main valley, which runs 20 the coast
without Formosa, there are less than eighteen
thousand square miles Of land under cultivation
In Japan, or somewhat more than one fourth OF
an acre for each person. All the farm lands are
cultivated upon the intensive system, producing
two or three crops a year, except in the ex-
treme north OF Japan. where the farms are
larger. The plough is rarely used The soil IL
turned over with q peculiarly constructed wood
en- spade, having a steel edge, or with a broad
Light mattOck. In the busy season OF Cultiva-
ton ono may travel two hundred miles and not
see moro than four or five ploughs in use While
this work Of preparing the soil is going on in
the spring the rice is growing in the seeded
which is usually made and planted carly in
April. For this a small paddock is taken and
highly fertilized with muck deposits from the
water courses, or with composted leaves or
rapeseed cake.
AS each small field is made ready for planting
II is Hooded with water. and the plants from
the bed are pulled and set ont In rows In the
hooded field Water is then kept upon the field
continuously till the rice begins to show signs
Of ripening when it Is drawn off AS soon as
the rice is mature 1t is cut with small sickle.
close to the ground, bound in small bundles and
cured by hanging up on poles with the heads
down. When dry it is thrashed by drawing II
through hatchel The ground is then nut nm
into ridges and planted with wheat. rape or
barley for a winter crop. To hasten The ma
turliy OF this winter crop, the seeds are nIantod
IN bed some weeks previous to the ripouIng
OF the rice crop, the plants are several inches
high by the time the ridges are ready n recoivo
them They are then transplanted by hand In
THIS way considerable OF the rice land produces
two crops year.
CROPS on HIGH LAND
on high land three crops are us .lly obtained
without irrigation. Every field is kept pcrfectIv
free from weeds and grass In a days travel II
would be difficult to find any land under cron
having weeds. Such perfectly clean fields arc
quite marvellous. Prior to the restoration vhen
Japan was under the feudal system the ron,
was equal to One-half the CROP on Tho rico land
proper, and, inasmuch as the rent on tbe biob-
lands must be paid also in rice. the farmer ras
compelled 20 raise large crops or there v,ouId
be no rice LEFT for home consumption. This plan
Of requiring the rent on the high land to no
paid IN rice prevented the cultivation OF any
high land except the most fertile