Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-12
AGRICULTURE IN JAPAN.
American Methods Followed in Devel-
oping the Country.

That - 100 900 acres, in Japan, support
population of AZ, 100000; that is, that every
acre supports nearly three and one-half per-
sons; that the japanese farmer, with total
assets rarely worth 500, can produce crops
which sell for 500 gold; that on this
amount he can support family in compare
tive comfort, and that there are still in the
island nearly S0,000,0 900 acres uncultivated
are some of the statements which Mr..
David G. Fairchild presents in a letter re-
Gently received from him by his chief, the
Secretary of Agriculture.
Mr.. Fairchild goes on to state that the
japanese government is establishing insti-
tutes of agricultural research modelled after
the system of the United States; that within
the past five or six years the government
has established nine well-equipped expert
ment station, (which compare favorably
with those which were established in Ameri
ca only few years ago." and which are
controlled from central station at Tokyo,
which disburses annually $9O,O00 gold,
along the most up-to-date lines of agricul
tural experimentation. The directors and
assistants in these stations are described
as industrious, enthusiastic men, who enjoy
nothing so well as the use Of their micro
scopes or to study the habits of injurious
insects
At Komaba is an agricultural college at
which Prof. Loew, formerly of the United
States Department of Agriculture, impartS
a thorough and comprehensive knowledge
Of chemistry to the young Japanese stu
dents, a knowledge which many of them
have already turned to excellent advantage
in the analyzing the commercial fertilizers
which are extensively used and the product
of the numerous factories manufacturing
rape-seed cake.
In criticism Of Japanese experimental
work Mr.. Fairchild says that the experts
are somewhat too much given to purely
scientific work as distinguished from science
in its practical application, but this fault,
he predicts, will be remedied in the near
future.
The increased interest in scientific plant
cultivation in Japan is unmistakable, and
with the introduction of compulsory school
education several years ago and the forma-
ton in every district of agricultural So
cieties, the quick dissemination and as
similation Of new facts relating to the diff
sured Bulletins, illustrated with photo
graphs and charts, for the instruction of
the farmers are being printed by the thou
sand, and in the middle schools the sciences
related to agriculture are taught much as
they are in America. Even in many of the
primary schools gardens of named plants
for the instruction of the children are to
be found These changes would come slow
ly with any other race than one which, like
the Japanese is saturated with love for
plants. The lowest born coolie knows more
per cent of the educated classes of America
or Europe They are race of plant artists
and care for fancy varieties of flowers as
other nations do for pet animals. Yet It is
a surprising fact that notwithstanding this
love for plant life the Japanese are not
great plant breeders and artificial hybridi-
cation is not well understood by them.