AGRICULTURE OF LEW CHEW. 29 



is effected as speedily as the hand can he raised and again thrust down. Practice renders them 

 expert, and lines unnecessary. In front of the gang is a sheet of water ; hehind them is a field 

 of growing rice, in regular rows. At all periods of its growth, when the writer has seen it, 

 the earth has been covered with water, which is, therefore, inferred to be always kept so, until 

 the grain is about to form or ripen — perhaps, except when "droughts" occur. If such be the 

 case, and a water-coming be essential, droughts must act most injuriously, by cutting short 

 this, which seems to be the chief food of all the upper classes, and probably the chief article of 

 tribute or taxes to Japan. 



Apparently, no further culture is required, unless it be to pluck out aquatic weeds that may 

 intrude. It is cut and gathered into bundles before "dead ripe," and placed in the air and 

 sun to dry. All subsequent operations are unknown to me. A gentleman from South Caro- 

 lina, who saw much of it growing, thinks it will average about twenty bushels to the acre ; at 

 the same time remarking, that the head (panicle) was very large, owing to its having been 

 "set out," instead of being broadcast. From this fact, the average may be larger. We are 

 under the impression that two crops are grown annually ; besides which, a winter-crop of taro, 

 or sweet-potatoes, is taken from the rice-grounds, as inferred from these occupying and being 

 gathered from those grounds which were not already (February 1) either planted with rice or 

 undergoing preparations for it. 



Taro (arum esculentumf) is a water-plant, and occupies the wetter grounds and ditches. 

 Where the sweet-potato is grown upon rice-grounds, if they are of stiff clay, it is planted upon 

 beds, similar to strawberry and asparagus beds; the summits of these being dry, and the inter- 

 space moist or wet. It was never seen whether the rice-grounds are manured ; but, occupying 

 the rich alluvions, and being assisted always by water, they may require no manure. 



The unwatered uplands are prepared for crops much in the same way as rice-fields — the 

 large hoe being the principal, if not the sole instrument, for stirring the soil. The plough and 

 harrow may be used here in the manner mentioned before ; but at no time was any such opera- 

 tion witnessed. Whether a spade would answer better, is doubtful ; and, as iron seems to be 

 too scarce to supply both, the hoe is preferable, as being capable of performing more offices. 

 When the land is once placed in an open, porous condition, all future culture is easily and 

 quickly effected ; it is never allowed to become compact and hard again ; a constant series of 

 crops, root and culmiferous, is taken from it; and the removal of roots serves as a preparation 

 for the following crop. No grass or clover is ever sown — two lots of a coarse-looking grass, 

 apparently spontaneous, being the only exceptions seen in thousands of divisions. Owing to 

 this, no stock ever tramples the earth, which remains light and readily worked. In working 

 it, the feet of the operator are rarely moved ; being drawn up from the accumulated soil around 

 them, and placed in the deep furrow next the unbroken ground, when the legs are again buried 

 nearly to the knee by pulverulent earth, loosened by the deeply-penetrating hoe. The soil 

 appears to be stirred thoroughly at least one foot in depth, and probably more. Lands thus 

 deeply tilled, and lying nearly or quite level, are admirably adapted to absorb and retain the 

 water that falls in rains — aided, as they are, by borders of firm earth, which are further hard- 

 ened by being foot-paths. Nor is there danger of their becoming too wet, as superfluous water 

 may escape by a sufficiently porous sub-soil, or by drains at the margins, as mentioned above. 

 Such tillage is also admissible, as affording the roots of all plants a fine field for spreading and 

 developing themselves. 



The unwatered hollows, or intervales, levelled across and formed into steps or terraces, are 



