Polk County news-gazette. (Benton, Tenn.) 190?-191?, 1914-07-23

human habitations and people as well; but the
character of the crops under cultivation MAKES
it necessary that the peasants should be houseu
In settlements or villages away from the large
wet areas given up to the growing OF rice ana
other crops.
These rice areas are divided up into fields or
plots OF all shapes and sizes by small grass-grown
ridges a few inches in height, and averaging
about a foot in breadth, thus enclosing the SOFT
mud in which the rice is planted. The prepara-
ton of these fields is extremely arduous work,
involving much hoeing and careful construction
of these mud dams, and it includes Whole sys-
TEN of terracing, whereby the water necessary
for irrigation is led gradually down from held 10
field for all high-class rice requires hoodlng Inc
little streams and rivuets which provide the
water for these terraced hills and wide valleys
are very often shaded by bamboo plants, and
these streams feed the bitches cut for water
channels; narrow tracks or footpaths are also
made through the rice fields. But II these nelds
look desoate at springtime, there is no lack OF
life In them when the planting season Deglhs IN
June for then they are filled with men ana
women busy engaged in transplantlng the young
rice nIants: and fortunately for this industry
Japan possesses a large supply OF cheap labor
The seeds of the rice first thicky sown In the
small wet fields, or nursery beds, In the early
spring (ApriD, and when the young plants nave
attained the height of four inches or WHEREABOUTS
they are very carefully transplanted TO the larger
imagined, this is an exceedingly laborlous KIM
of work When one looks at the innumerable lit
tie plants in the nurseries, with their Vlvld green
shoots and delicatelooking roots, the removing
of them by hand to the larger fields and planting
singly seems an almost impossible task and Win
European labor 1t might be so; but the peasahtry
Of japan have been accustomed to this tedious
method of agriculture through many centuries
and from habit, 1t is taken as matter OF course
and the men and women, standing kneedeep u
the mud and water and STOPPING over their tolr
some work, spare pains in the planting out Oh
the young rice in the soft mud me Vaiue OF the
harvest Is probably IN their minus as TIC ie""iu
for all this labor.
The eastern agricultural laborer must be seen
to he fully realized. Japanese backs are supple!
but the sight of so much STOPPING and Denolhg
is enough to make European feel the pains OF
lumbago In his back from the mere contempla-
ton Of It,
When the rice is growing up then the helds
show a very brilliant green and they are Kept
under a few inches of water all the time the.
young crops are growing which is only drained
away lust before the harvesting of the rice. The
rice plant blooms early In September, and the
crops. are reaped in October and hung up to dry
on short poles. The threshing is done with fails
or heckles, a kind of comb. Various methods OF
fertilization are used by the Japanese farmer.
some OF them most unsavory to the European
nose. in fact the smells" that emanate from the
ground in the agricultural districts in Japan often
destroy ones sense of appreciation OF their me
cultivation when inspecting IT. closely, and the
Japanese people must either have less keen noses
tban ours or else do not mind the odors. for they
appear In no way to affect them as they do our
selves If European takes a walk In the rice
fields or paddy fields" as he calls them, during
the hot months he is sure to get severely bitten
by mosquitoes and for Europeans living near the
rice areas these pests are great trial during
the summer.