The Hawaiian gazette., 1909-12-24
LESSONS FROM
THE FAR EAST
Expert Reports on Cotton and
Rice in China and
Japan.

The recent mission Of a representa-
tive of the Hawaii Experiment Station
to China and Japan in the interests of
our island agriculture, more particular
" with regard to the. cotton and rice
industries, is an important one, and its
results are likely to be of far-reaching
benefit to Hawaiian growers, according
to the report of Frederick G. Krauss,
the rice expert of the experiment sta
ton, who himself went to the Orient
to look into cotton and ricegrowing
there. In The Hawaiian Forester and
Agriculturist for November he writes:
The increasing oriental population in
the Islands creates a large demand for
rice, but although the local-grown prod
uct is of good quality, it fails to APP
peal to the japanese, who find its fla
vor not acceptable. In order to sup
ply the demand for japanese rice, over
three quarters of a million dollars
worth is imported annually into these
Islands, which large sum is therefore
lost to our growers. Many attempts
have been made to grow rice from
japanese seed, but hitherto that prod
net has been lacking in those quail.
ties which make it appeal to our local
consumers. Attempts of like nature
carried on in other countries have also
met with the same lack of success.
The two most desired varieties of
Japanese rice are known as Omachi
and Shimriki, and are grown in the
Kiushiu and Yamaguchi districts, from
whence come most of the Japanese Ia
bOrers in the Hawaiian Islands. The
securing of select seed rice from these
localities was one of the chief objects
of the recent undertaking of the Ha-
wall Experiment Station, together with
an investigation of the cultural meth
DDS in operation in the Orient, for, as
is well known, the Hawaiian rice fields
have long yielded decreasing crops,
steadily deteriorating in quality.
Canton.
Leaving Honolulu early in August
last, Canton was the first agricultural
center visited. The surrounding coun-
try yields an enormous quantity of
rice and is the source of the famous
variety known as See-miu, the best
grades of which are grown in the
Tsang Shang districts. This rice is
greatly priced for curry and commands
a high price in the San Francisco mar
ket. 1t would without doubt be very
remunerative crop here.
Although the Canton rice fields have
been in cultivation for upwards of a
thousand years and produce two to
three crops annually, they are abun-
) dainty fertile and show no signs of de.
: creased crops. No artificial fertilizers
are employed, but all refuse is most
{ carefully made use of, night soils be.
, ing the main source of supply.
, Conservation of Refuse.
!, One of the most striking lessons to
be learnt from an enquiry into the eco.
, nomic life of China is the system by
which the ultimate value is derived
from all waste. This is greatly exem.
plified in the case of agricultural fer.
, tilization. Not only do cities control
J and auction the privilege of disposing
. of public sewage, but landowners mair
tain along the highways earthen re
: ceptacles for the convenience of trav
q elers. 1t is not eXtravagant to assert
3 that, were modern sewage methods in
5 troduced into centers of population II
$ China, many cities would in n very
t short time be reduced to a condition
' of famine by reason of crop diminu
t ton.
d Japan.
], Passing to Japan the agricultural con
!, ditions were found to be very differen
\ from those recently encountered. TIL
I region south of Toxic is the most full,
:. cultivated and affords revelation t.
the traveller of the possibilities of agri
:. cultural development. 1t may truly b
4 said that Japan is one vast garden il
!. the highest state of cultivation.
To rice alone over three milliol
n acres are devoted, cut up into farms o
A from one to five acres. On account o
q climatic conditions only one crop o
i rice and another of wheat or barle
= are grown annually, the rice being han
n vested in the fall and the rotation GRO
in the spring
IS Experiment Work in Japan.
u In contrast to China, Japan possesse
= a splendidly equipped department o
= agriculture. The main imperial exper
y ment station is situated at Nishigahart
g near Toxic, where a staff of thirty spt
cialists is in operation. Many of tn
employees have received foreign educi
Ut ton and the research work is of hig
< order. Each of the forty prefecture
L. of the empire has special agriculture
" demonstration station. The main line
Id of investigation center around rice, te
ID and tobacco. The latter crop is GO
l eminent monopoly.
nc Japan and Cotton.
n Ten years ago there were upwards {
:, fifty thousand acres of land devoted
~ cotton cultivation in Japan, but tn
~ has fallen of TO less than one thousan
II The chief reason for this Is found
a. M unfayorable climate, but IL is oil
an nihcnnt when Il is remembered ho
,m the supply of most cotton countries
In diminishing,
al classification OF Rice.
ok Tho rice Investigations carried ON
mn Japan are foremost Of those Of AZ
Of other country. Al Kinai, near osak
Is situated nm experiment station 9
ne tifely devoted TO rice breeding, IN