AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIES. 183 



that has been dyed red in the Aka-solution is drawn through this, 

 while still wet. 



From these remarks it will be seen that the method of obtaining 

 and applying safflower-red agrees in the main with our own ; and 

 it is to slight variations, at any rate, that the better result is to be 

 attributed. 



The Katas, or matrices for impressing the stuffs with figures, are 

 cut in relief out of Honoki or Sakura (see Woods). In order to keep 

 certain parts white — such as the letters of a name, etc.^ — various 

 plans are resorted to in dyeing. The most common is to cover 

 with Nori (starch-paste) the spots which are not to be coloured, this 

 Nori having been mixed with Niika (rice-bran), and then dry the 

 piece in the air before dipping it into the dye. According to an- 

 other plan, thin pieces of wood, such as shavings, are coated on their 

 under-side with Funori (sea-weed glue, of Gleopeltis cotifonnis, 

 Harv., and other species), and on their upper-side with paper, and 

 then sewed fast to the spots that are to be left uncoloured. 



And in the art, much practised in Kioto, of painting flowers and 

 other objects on prepared silk fabrics, the plain part is covered with 

 Nori, after the picture has been outlined, to prevent the dyes from 

 overflowing in consequence of hygroscopic or capillary attraction. 



4. Cattle-raising and Silk-growing, 



(a) Cattle-raising. 



It will suffice if we here add a few supplementary remarks to the 

 scattered opinions already given in preceding sections, as to the 

 slight importance in Japanese agriculture of cattle-raising on a 

 large scale. 



The Japanese horse, or Uma (pronouticed M'ma), belongs to the 

 Mongolian breed, is of small stature, with thick head and belly, 

 trots loosely, and gets m a sweat quickly, but shows considerable 

 endurance otherwise. It seldom receives careful attention. It 

 stands in its stall with its head toward the entrance, and is tied with 

 cords to the corner posts right and left, so close that it can scarcely 

 move, and, above all, cannot lie down. There are no mangers 

 or other fixed arrangements for feeding. On the other hand, its 

 quarters are kept very clean. Its feed consists, as a rule, of coarse 

 hay, damped, and mixed with a little bran or groats, and given 

 it in a feed-box, which is usually tied to it while it eats. Besides 

 this it gets barley, and, as a tit-bit, perhaps a handful of beans. 



The hay here spoken of is Ma-gusa, i.e., horse-plant dried. It is 

 made from the grass of the Hara ; preferably, however, from two 

 papilionaceous shrubs that grow there — the Hagi {Lespedeza cyrto- 



^ The peasant, for instance, wears his name in white on a blue blouse ; and 

 the Samurai, his name or coat of arms on the back and sleeves of his garment. 



