380 Japan. 



backbone of the country, and to the northern provinces. 

 Hokkaido, which was opened up to colonization only 3S 

 years ago, now with a population of only 30 to the 

 square mile, has 66% of forest, 15 acres per capita; the 

 northern part of Hondo has a similar area per cent., 

 mostly on the high steep mountains, but only 1.2 acres 

 per capita; on the southern portion, the low ranges of 

 hills and valleys, the forest area has been reduced to 

 53%, but shows only three-quarter acre per capita; and 

 Okinawa, with 36%, and less than one-third acre per 

 capita, shows the lowest. 



Of this forest area, however, almost one-half is "hara," 

 brush forest, chaparral, or dwarfed tree growth — ^the re- 

 sult of mismanagement, excessive cutting and fires — 

 and impenetrable thickets of dwarf bamboo, which 

 crowd out tree and even shrub growth wherever such 

 mismanagement gives it entrance. These extensive haras 

 are cut every two to five years for the brush, which is 

 used to cover and furnish manure for rice fields. 



Fire, which, until lately, ran over 5 or 6 million acres 

 annually, and ruthless cutting, have in the past and are 

 still deteriorating the forest area. 



Grassy prairie and barrens due to natural conditions 

 are not absent, and are due to excessive drainage 

 through loose coarse-grained rock soil; they are found, 

 not extensively, at the foot of volcanoes, and on highest 

 elevations. The differentiation of land areas is not 

 quite certain. In 1894, there was still 30.5% of grassy 

 prairie reported, but some of this, no doubt, was for- 

 ested, probably one-half. 



The bulk of the forest area is owned by the State and 

 the Imperial Household. Communal forests are esti- 

 mated to aggregate somewhat over four million acres 



