The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-04-06

of the farming Classes 10 TIC oieaoN'
and inst now there are many who are
e,niarating to Korea and Manchuria.
Educating the Farmers.
Indeed. the farmers of Japan are
| raDidly changing. There are puplie
schools. everywhere and the boys ana
girls of the country ommunltie at
tend them. Nearly every man can
read and write, and most Of land
| holders know what is going on as 10
scientific cultivation. The government
is doing a great deal along the lines
of AGRICULTURAL education. 1t has Dig
AGRICULTURAL colleges at TOXIC II
kSapporo; and there are thirty-slN
smaller colleges Whlch are teachiis
theoretical and practical farming IN
| the towns and prefectures. Their are
special colleges in Kyoto devoted 10
the art of silk culture, and instruction.
is also given in tea raising and ia the
other specialties of Japan.
The government has three hundred
and ten travelling lecturers, Who go
from town to town and from olstrlct
to district. preaching advance agrlcul-
tlre to the farmers and 1nstrblcting
them as to insects, fertilizers and va
rious crops. Some Of these men ~are
present at every agricultural show, ana
attend also to the experimental farm
ing carried on at the public expense.
Japan has now more than two hun-
dred experimental stations, and there
are other experimental stations estab-
liShed by the farmers themselves.
The first of these stations We're or
ganized by men from Agricultural
Department, and there have been
many American professors in h col
leges. Among the experimental sta
tons is one for the study Of the tea
plant and Of all modes Of curing the
leaves and preparing them for the
market. There is also an imperial
silk farm and imperial cattle and
horse breeding establishments.
Stock Farming.
Within. the past few years Japan has
done a great deal to improve its live
stock. 1t had practically none OF
much value at the time that Commo-
dore Perry came here. 1t has now q
million cattle and Il million horses,
and~one can buy good beef at all OF
the ports. When I first came to Japan
it was impossible to get anything else
but timed butter. There are now
numerous dairies, and fresh butter,
unsalted, is sold in most OF the cities.
The masses of the people use neither
butter nor meat. They live upon fish,
rice and vegetables, which they eat
with a sauce called soy.
The most of the soldiers who went
from the farms to Manchuria to fight
the Russians there made their first ac-
qu%aintance with beef in the consump-
ton Of canned meats from America,
and it is probable from this that q de-
mand for meat may spring up.
AS to cattle, the government has
now an imperial breeding farm which
is supplied with animals purchased By
experts who were sent abroad for the
purpose. The favorite cattle are Ayr
shires and Simmenthals1 a number Of
each being kept.
Japanese Horses.
The Japanese arc doing all they can
to improve their horses, The eLlpe-1
ror has a number of studs and horse
farms, and his men are importing
for their Improvement every
year. He has Arabs, trOtters, thor
oughbreds and hacllneys, altogether
numbering about five hundred stations
and mares. Their is now a horse
administration bureau, which is un-
der the control Of the cabinet. with an
eN-minister Of state as its chief The
business Of this is to improve the
japanese stock, with the especial OBJ
ject OF furnishing better animals for
the army. l understand that fifteen
hundred stations of foreign breed are
to be purchased and distributed to
the chlei breeding cen;ers, where they
are to be paired with native mares.
Improvement program is to ek-
thirty years.
At present most of the horses here
are stocky ponies of Monaghan breed.
Iney have been somewhat crossed
With Percherons, n as a result they
are very strong and hardy, / see 5sonle1
Of them haLling enormous loads on
carts, through the streets of the cities.
They are always hitched u~p>singly. and
he driver Invariably walks, leading
the horse.
AS to imported horses, a number
We're brought here from America in
and after the war With China
systematic Introduction of foreign
began. At present there are
Lea such animals in the various
government .depots and studs.
New Agricultural Societies.
| am surprised at the interest that
the rmo are taking in imnro1-od