THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Oct.  i,  1892. 
278 
VEGETABLE  PRODUCTIONS  OP  KOREA. 
Mr.  C.  W.  Campbell  (of  H.M.’s  Consular  Service  in 
China)  read  a paper  before  the  Geographical  Section 
of  the  British  Association  on  Aug.  9th,  at  Edinburgh. 
The  subject  was  the  journey  undertaken  by  him 
through  the  northern  half  of  Korea  to  the  Manchurian 
frontier  in  the  autumn  of  1889,  which  has  already  been 
mentioned  once  or  twice  in  our  columns. 
Starting  from  Soul,  the  capital  of  Korea,  on  Aug. 
31st,  Mr.  Campbell  crossed  the  Peninsula  by  a north- 
easterly route  to  Won-san,  the  treaty  port  on  the  east 
coast.  The  interesting  portion  of  this  traverse  was 
the  Keum  Kang  San,  or  Diamond  Mountains,  which 
had  not  previously  been  visited  by  a European.  They 
are  a notably  irregular  section  of  the  principal  Korean 
range  which  descends  from  the  Ch‘ang-pai  Shan  (Ever- 
White  Mountains)  of  Manchuria,  are  the  chef-lieu  of 
Korean  Buddhism,  and  possess  some  striking  scenery 
which  attracts  numbers  of  native  tourists  every  year 
in  spring  and  autumn. 
From  Won-san  the  route  followed  the  coast  to 
Ham-heung  and  Puk-ch‘5ng,  where  it  broke  inland 
to  Kap-san  and  the  Yalu  River.  At  Po  ch'bn,  a village 
on  a branch  of  the  Yalu,  Mr.  Campbell  procured 
guides  and  bearers,  and  continuing  northwards  through 
an  uninhabited  forest,  made  an  attempt  to  ascend 
the  now  extinct  volcano  of  Peik-tu  San  (White-Head 
Mountain),  better  known  as  the  “Long  White  Moun- 
tain,” which  is  an  erroneous  translation  of  the 
Chinese  Ch'ang-pai  Shan,  or  Ever- White  Mountain. 
It  was  first  authentically  visited  in  1886  by  Mr. 
James  and  his  party,  who  approached  it  from  the 
Manchurian  side.  Besides  being  the  centre  of  much 
legend  and  fable  in  both  Manchu  and  Korean  history, 
the  White  Mountain  is  remarkable  physically  by 
reason  of  an  Alpine  lake  which  has  formed  in  the 
extinct  crater  at  7,000  or  8,000  feet  above  sea-level. 
Mr.  Campbell  just  failed  to  reach  this  lake  in  con- 
sequence of  heavy  falls  of  snow  and  the  illness  of 
his  principal  guide.  The  return  journey  to  Soul  was 
varied  by  recrossing  the  Peninsula  to  Pong-yang. 
Altogether  the  ground  covered  was  1,300  miles,  a good 
deal  of  which  was  unknown  to  geography. 
Mr.  Campbell  interspersed  his  descriptions  with 
some  fresh  observations  on  the  economic  products 
of  the  country.  The  following  extracts  bearing  on 
the  field  of  agriculture  are  interesting: — “As  to  the 
extent  of  land  under  cultivation  I have  no  informa- 
tion, nor  do  I believe  that  any  reliable  data  exist. 
Some  rough  conception,  which  is  perhaps  better  than 
none  at  all,  may  be  found  by  a comparison  with 
Japan,  where  official  investigations  have  furnished 
tolerably  correct  estimates  of  the  proportion  of  tilled 
to  untilled  and  forest  land.  In  the  Japanese  islands, 
including  Yezo,  about  12  per  cent  of  the  whole  area 
is  devoted  to  agriculture,  and  Korea  being  almost 
to  a certainty  less  widely  cultivated  than  its  more 
populous  neighbour,  we  may  surmise  that  probably 
not  a tenth  of  its  surface  is  farmed.  Rice,  of  course, 
is  the  great  food  plant  of  Korea : there  are  many 
varieties,  a remarkable  one,  upland  rice  ( Oryza 
montana),  which  thrives  without  irrigation,  being 
only  occasionally  met  with.  It  is  grown  through- 
out the  southern  and  central  provinces,  but 
in  Ham-kyong  it  is  confined  to  the  sea-coast, 
and  in  P‘ong-yang  to  warm,  low-lying  valleys.  Bar- 
ley and  wheat  are  common  winter  crops  wherever 
rice  can  be  grown,  and  in  the  mountainous  re- 
gions one  may  see  them  as  summer  crops.  Oats, 
however,  are  much  more  frequently  cultivated  in  the 
highlands  of  the  north.  The  pretty  white  flowers  of 
the  buckwheat  ( Polygonum  fagopyrum)  are  met  with 
everywhere:  it  is  usually  planted  in  small  fields  where 
the  soil  is  comparatively  poor  or  sandy.  Italian  millet 
(Panicum  italicum),  punicle  millet  (Panicum  miliaceum), 
and  su-su,  or  tall  millet  ( Holcus  sorghum)  are,  after 
rice,  the  important  cereals.  Indeed,  in  the  interior 
of  Ham-kyong  and  P‘bng-yang  Italian  millet  takes  the 
place  of  rice  in  the  peasant  economy.  Maize  is  not 
largely  grown,  at  any  rate  in  the  centre  of  Korea  : 
the  peasant  seldom  cultivates  more  than  a few 
score  of  plants  in  the  garden  near  his  hut.” 
“Of  leguminous  plants  the  soy-bean  (Olycine  his/Ada 
is  most  prominent,  and  the  ready  market  found  for 
it  in  Japan  tends  to  increase  its  cultivation.  Kidney 
beans  ( Phaseolus  vulgaris  and  P.  radiatus?)  and  peas 
are  ordinary  summer  growths. 
“ The  potato  is  not  uncommon  in  mountain  districts, 
but  it  does  not  find  much  favour  as  a food.  Like 
tobacco,  it  seems  to  have  been  introduced  from  Japan 
within  the  last  three  centuries.  Small  ponds  of  lotus 
(Nelumho  nucifera),  grown  partly  for  its  seeds  and 
partly  for  its  starchy  rhizomes,  occur  near  Soul,  and, 
I am  told,  in  the  south  of  Korea.  The  radish-turnip 
( Raphanus  salivus)  and  “Chinese  cabbage’  ( Brassica 
chinensis)  are  abundant  crops  everywhere.  BriEjal 
(Solatium  melongena),  garlic  (Allium  sativum),  onion 
(Allium  cepa ),  and  ginger  (Zingiber  officinale)  also  find 
place  in  gardens,  but  not  to  such  an  extent  as  chilli 
(Capsicum  frutescens),  which  is  the  condiment 
par  excellence  of  the  Korean  nation.  Melons (Citmllus 
edulis  and  Cucumis  mtlo  amongst  others),  pumpkin 
(Cucurbita  pepo),  cucumber  (Cucumis  sativus),  and 
gourd  (Lagenaria  vulgaris ) are  cultivated  university  in 
the  centre  and  south,  as  well  as  in  the  warm  va!l  >y 
of  the  north  of  Korea. 
“ The  principal  textile  plants  in  their  order  of  im- 
portance are  cotton  (Cossypium  herbaceum),  hemp 
Cannabis  sativa),  and  China-gra6s  (Boehmeriu  nivea). 
Cotton  is  grown  little  or  not  at  all  above  tho  39th 
parallel,  und  I do  not  think  that  Boehmeria  succt  eds  so 
far  north.  Hemp  is  the  sole  oloth-plant  to  he  fiuod 
in  the  greater  partof  the  two  northern  provinces,  where 
it  flourishes  exceedingly  well.  The  progress  of  foreign 
trade,  bringing  with  it  cheap  Manches  er  goods,  seems 
destined  to  reduce  cotton  cultivation  to  a low  ebb,  but 
the  production  of  hemp  is  not  so  likely  to  decrease  for 
that  reason — at  any  rate,  so  long  as  hemp  is  used  for 
mourning  clothes. 
“The  white  mulberry  (Monts  alba)  and  the  paper 
mulberry  ( Broussonelia  papyrif era)  are  included  in  the 
list  of  cultivated  trees.  Plantations  of  mortis  were 
established  at  Soul  (where  au  old  disused  palace  and 
grounds  were  given  up  for  the  purpose),  and  near 
Chemulpo,  some  years  ago,  by  the  Korean  Government, 
aoting  under  foreign  advice,  the  object  being  the 
advancement  of  silk  culture.  The  scheme  has  proved 
abortive,  purely  iu  consequence  of  lack  of  funds, 
coupled  with  a near-sighted  opposition  from  officials. 
In  no  case  that  came  under  my  observation 
was  I more  struck  by  the  want  of  perseverance 
and  enterprise  which  too  frequently  marks  the  national 
character.  The  failure  was  regrettable,  for  there  was 
little  doubt  that  a moderate  outlay  and  careful  manage- 
ment must  have  made  these  mulberry  plantations  a 
considerable  benefit  to  the  silk  industry  in  Korea. 
The  paper  and  white  mulberries  are  generally  found 
in  hedges  and  gardens,  singly  or  alternating  with 
other  shrubs,  and  do  not  occur  in  plantations. 
“As  with  rice  and  cotton,  tobacco  thrives  everywhere, 
except  in  the  interior  of  Ham-kyong  and  P‘ong-yang. 
The  best  leaf  is  said  to  come  from  the  eastern  provinces, 
Kang-won  and  Kyong-sang.  According  to  the  annals 
of  the  present  dynasty*  tobacco  was  introduced  some 
three  centuries  ago  by  a Korean  envoy  on  his  return 
from  a mission  to  the  Japanese  Court.  Sesame 
(Sesamum  indicum),  castor-bean  (Ricinus  communis), 
and  rape  (Brassica  chinensis),  are  grown  for  the 
oil  which  is  expressed  from  their  seeds,  that  of 
sesame  being  considered  the  purest  and  most  palata- 
ble. A knotweed  (Polygonum  tinctorium)  furnishes  a 
well-known  indigo  dye,  for  which  it  is  cultivated.  Other 
dye  plants  are  safflower  (Carthamus  tinctorius)  and 
stone-crop  (Lithospermum  officinale),  used  for  oolouring 
red  and  violet. 
“ Many  edible  fruits  common  to  tbe  temperate  re- 
gions of  the  earth,  and  a few  which  are  peculiar  to  the 
Far  East,  are  widely  distributed  in  Korea.  In  com- 
parison with  the  European  fruits  they  are  all  sadly 
inferior  in  size  and  flavour.  Whether  or  not,  as  some 
say,  the  soil  and  olimate  of  Eastern  Asia  is  unfavourable 
to  fruit  oulture — an.asaertion  to  some  extent  borne  out 
by  the  well-known  deteriorath  n of  European  species 
which  have  been  transplanted  to  China  and  Jnpan — it 
soarcely  admits  of  a doubt  that  the  woful  inferiority  of 
Korean  fruits  is  due  to  the  slight  attention  devoted  to 
them.  The  trees  are  neither  pruned  cor  manured,  no 
serious  endeavours  are  made  to  prevent  the  ravages  of 
insects,  aud  the  improvement  of  species  by  propagating 
