AGRICULTURAL CONDITIONS IN JAPAN AND CEYLON. 2l 



better nourishedJiipanese the following constitutes the otdintiry bill of 

 fare- Boiled rice, boiled rape and daikon (half radish and half turnip), 

 bean soup, and barlev tea for breakfast and dinner. Lnm-h at noon 

 is the same without the V)ean soup. A little salt tish is added oc-ca- 

 sionallv. 



GENERAL REMARKS. 



Japan has an area of 147,655 square miles, exclusive of Formosa, 

 about one-tenth of which, or 15,(K)0 scpiare miles, is tillable. Hie 

 population is now not far from -t5,00(».()nO, which gives a ratio ot 

 3 000 persons to the square mile of arable land. At this ratio the 

 State of Iowa could sustain 15(1,000,000 people and Texas more than 

 HOO 000 000. This statement is sutiicient to refute the claim that 

 JapaneJe agricultural products may at some future time compete with 

 America in our home markets. Japan is rapidly becoming a great 

 manufacturing and commercial nation, for which she is, by virtue of 

 the genius of her people, exceedingly well adapted. The trend ot 

 events indicates that when that time arrives Japan will be a large con- 

 sumer of American food and tibiM- products. 



CEYLON. 



The island of Cevlon, a British dependency, in latitude 6^ north, 

 contains •25.365 square miles and has a population of 8,31)1,-143, com- 

 posed of about two-thirds Cingalese and one-third Tamils, with a few 

 Moormen and Malays. The Cingalese are the primitive inha))itants 

 and occupv mainlv the southwestern portion of the island. 1 hey ai-c 

 medium sized, well formed, rather light colored, intelligent, and digni- 

 tied Thev are inclined to play the gentleman even in the roughest 

 work, but are honest and make good clerks. The Tamils have been 

 imported from the mainland, presidency of Madras, and bear a strik- 

 ing resemblance to the American negro. They do a large part of the 

 farm work and furnish most of the servants. There is not, however, 

 much general farming done in the island, the central portion of which 

 is occupied bv mountain ranges, though the valleys are fertile. Only 

 about 4 400 square miles are under cultivation of any kind. The thin 

 sandy soil of the coast does not appear to be adapted to any crops 

 except the cocoanut palm, which grows with amazing luxuriance, and 

 the nuts constituting an important article of export. In the higjier 

 lands and on the mountain sides are large plantations of tea and cotlee, 

 with occasional groves of cinnamon and other spices. 



AGRICULTURE. 



Rice is the main crop, but not enough of this is produced for home 

 consumption, large quantities being imported from Fenang, Singapore 

 India, and Burma. When preparing the ground for rice, a kind ot 



