The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-08-17
IMPERIAL JAPANESE
CONSUL WAS
IN TOWN
seizaburo shimixu of Chicago
Looking Over North Da-
kota's Big Farms.

Seizaburo Shimizu. consul for the
Imperial Japanese government at Chi
cago passed through the city last
evening on the Oriental Limited and
was seen for few moments at the
depot by an Evening Times repre-
sentative.
The japanese oficial is journeying
through the northwest inspecting the
agricultural and industrial conditions
of the country and gathering material
which he will use in his consular re-
port to be published by the govern
ment of Japan. He comes to this
state from Aberdeen and Brookings.
s. D., where he has been studying
farming as it is done there, and is en-
route to Larimore, where he will visit
the big wheat fields on the farms of
N. B. Larimore and ]. B. Streeter.
Yesterday he spent in Fargo, and
In the morning President Worst show
ed him about the buildings and
grounds of the Agricultural college.
In an interview in the Fargo Forum.
Mr.. Shimizu is quoted as follows:
My principal object in making the
trip at this time was to see the wheat
harvest. OF course, each one of our
conslls is required to make investiga-
tons and send in a report of the agri-
cultural and manufacturing conditions
in the country to which he is assigned.
These reports are printed and make
very interesting reading for our jap
anese farmers. Sometimes they derive
valuable suggestions from them.
But l believe it is practically i'm
possible for the Japanese to compete
with America in the production of
wheat and flour. The country is so
thtckly settled and so cut up into
small patches Of ground that the Jap
anese farmer is unable to make use
OF the large pieces of machinery
which are in use here, and for that
reason he cannot raise nearly as much
grain.
Here a man can have a quarter
section, half section, even sometimes
two or three sections of ground, while
in Japan one who owns ten acres of
ground considers himself very for
tunate.
"This makes a great difference in
the methods which are applied. In
Japan every inch Of ground is cul-
tivated and in some places three
crops are raised each year. The Jap
anese farmer makes his ground pro-
duce five times as much to the acre
as the American farmer does. In the
north Of Japan where the farms are
the largest, some machinery, either of
japanese, American or European
make is used for harvesting, but in
the south Of Japan where the farms
are very small the grain is cut by
hand with a scythe.''
Mr.. Shimizu stated that one of the
things which most interested him on
his present trip through North Dakota
was the greatly improved financial
condition of the country.
Your bankers tell me that a few
years ago they were obliged to Dor
row money from New York and other
places in the east, while now you not
only have sufficient money for your
own uses but can afford to lend it to
the larger cities. That is most sur
prising."
Mr.. Shimizu stated to the Evening
Times representative who talked with
him at the station that he expected to
visit in Grand Forks upon his return
from Larimore, possibly on Saturday.
Senator Hansbrough, who left for
Devils Lake last evening, met Mr..
Shimizu at the train. and together they
journeyed on to their respective
destinations.