April, 1910,1 



317 



Edible Products. 



and 1895, the rice combination fixed the 

 pr ice of paddy at Rs. 70 to Rs. 75 per 

 100 baskets. 



The indebtedness of the Burma culti- 

 vator, especially in Lower Burma, is, as 

 Mr. McKerrall admits, a striking feature 

 in the economy of the country owing, 

 for the most part, to his being a strong 

 upholder of pwes and pagodas aud of 

 the maxim carpe diem. Nature in Lower 

 Burma being always bountiful, and the 

 crops rarely failing, the cultivator does 

 not believe in putting anything by, since 

 the aphorism, about a reserve for a 

 rainy day, is meaningless to him. Mr, 

 McKerrall sums up his description of the 

 whole cultivation of Lower Burma as 

 careful and good, according to the lights 

 of the people, its weak points being 

 want of care in conserving and applying 

 manure, also the absence of good 

 methods of cleaning, grading and select- 

 ing seed to improve the type. An Agri- 

 cultural College has been established, 

 and it is hoped that these defects will 

 gradually disappear by the college stu- 

 dents and experts spreading a know- 

 ledge of improved methods. 



KOREAN RICE TRADE. 



(Prom the Indian Trade Journal, Vol. 

 XIII., No. 158, April 8, 1909.) 

 We reproduce below from the January 

 number of the United States Monthly 

 Consular Reports the greater part of 

 an excellent report upon rice produc- 

 tion in Koiea. It will interest persons 

 concerned in the Indian trade to notice 

 certain differences of practice and to 

 observe that in the Korean methods of 

 measurement, etc., there is a similarity 

 to those encountered in parts of India. 

 The facts about the proportions of 

 cleaned rice to bulk rice treated and 

 about the marked discrepancies between 

 the pieces of rice at various points not 

 greatly distant from each other are 

 worthy of attention. The report is by 

 Consul-General Thomas Sammons, of 

 Seoul, who illustrates the importance 

 and value of the industry both to Korea 

 and to Japan : — 



American rice-cleaning machinery is 

 being extensively introduced in Korea 

 and invariably gives the best possible 

 satisfaction. The machines are so con- 

 structed that broken or worn out parts 

 can be replaced without difficulty. In 

 construction these machines are simple 

 and the natives readily learn to operate 

 them, The English type of rice-cleaning 

 machinery is not utilized, although a 

 number of Japanese machines are being 

 sold in the Korean market, 



An idea of the extent of the rice in- 

 dustry of Korea may be had from esti- 

 mates of the annual yield, as based 

 partially on the total production in 

 Japan. Japan's yield is placed at ap- 

 proximately 14,800,000,000 pounds and, 

 on a basis of 1 koku of 320 pounds, or 

 5 bushels to each person, this aggregate 

 would supply more than 40,000,000 

 people. Assuming that Korea has ap- 

 proximately 10,000,000 population, its 

 annual rice crop would amount to 

 3,200,000,000 pounds, 6£ per cent, having 

 been exported in 1907. This rough 

 estimate is based on 1 koku to each 

 person, while as a matter of fact 

 many adults may consume more than 

 5 bushels of rice in a year in Korea. 

 However, it is also true that in northern 

 Korea many natives exist largely or 

 wholly on millet. It is probable, there- 

 fore, that the Korean rice crop does not 

 average 1 koku to each person, although 

 it is claimed Koreans consume more rice 

 per capita than either the Japanese or 

 Chinese. 



Exports and Imports. 

 Of the total rice yield of Korea a con- 

 siderable quantity is exported to Japan. 

 A small quantity of Korean rice is also 

 exported to China, largely for Japanese 

 consumption in Manchuria. During 

 periods of impaired rice yields Korea 

 has imported large quantities of the 

 cereal ; under normal conditions small 

 quantities are imported. In 1907, how- 

 ever, immense quantities of the surplus 

 of the 1906 crops were sold to Japan at 

 unusually high prices. On a total of 

 199,631,066 pounds of Korean rice export- 

 ed in 1907, principally to Japan, a 

 custom-house valuation of §3,728,110 was 

 placed, the appraised valuation being 

 approximately $>2'50 per picul of 133 

 pounds. These figures indicate a more 

 extensive rice-export business than the 

 prevailing conditions in Korea warrant. 



Very little of the rice that is cleaned 

 with American machinery in Korea is 

 exported. A small amount goes to 

 Dalney (Tairen) and Manchuria, and is 

 there sold, as in Korea, mostly to Japan- 

 ese residents. The rice that is cleaned 

 with foreign machines is called " white " 

 rice, to distinguish it from the ordinary 

 native cleaned or " brown" rice. 



In order to indicate the extent of 

 shrinkage of Korean rice during the 

 cleaning process, it may be said that 

 out of 100 bushels of bulk or unhusked 

 rice, locally termed " paddy " rice, 40 to 

 50 bushels of " brown " rice may be 

 saved. In further cleaning this 

 "brown" rice the brown cuticle or husk 

 13 removed and it thus becomes "white." 



