CHAPTER I. 



CONDITION OF AGRICULTURE. 



I. POSITION OF AGRICULTURE. 



Indeed, the Japanese Agriculture has a very remote origin. Historically considered, the 

 Emperors, generation after generation, directed their attention to the encouragement of this 

 noble industry ; consequently, in the earliest times, it already accomplished a phenomenal develop- 

 ment, of which the people were so proud that ithey ^used to call their land *' Mizuaono Kuni " 

 (literally translated : the " Land of Luxurious Rice Crops "). Such having the case, it is no wonder 

 that agriculture, in any age of past, formed the basis of the national resources. 



Although the width of our Island Empire is limited, the length is very large and reaches 

 as much as 3,(XX) miles; therefore, her extremities touch two zones, the temperate and the 

 torrid. Moreover, the soil being very fertile and climatical changes moderate, there are found 

 numerous varieties of plants growing luxuriantly and the crops are, in the greater portion of 

 the land, raised twice a year. In this respect. Japan may well be called a country most con- 

 genial with farming. Thus, in spite of the limitedness of the area of her arable land, it brings 

 forth so enormous an amount of produce, that caters to the people not only with abundant 

 food-stuf?, but also with abundant manufacturing material of industry. Consequently, the 



