On the Agriculture and Horticulture of Japan. 205 
THIRD CLASS. — GREENS. 
Peacock. Favourite. Bang- Europe. Navarino. 
Providence. Greenwood. Lord Crewe. Tramp. 
Ocean. Troubler. Lord Byron. Jolly Angler. 
FOURTH CLASS. — WHITES. 
Eagle. Bonny Lass. Governess. Wellington's Glory 
Fleur-de-lis. Lady Delatnere. Morton Lass. White Lion. 
Ostrich. Nailer. Lily of the Valley. Cheshire Lass. 
Nonpareil. Beauty of England. Queen Caroline. Whitesmith. 
I remain, Gentlemen, 
Yours, respectfully, 
Wincobank, Sept. 3rd, 1831. George Muscroft. 
Article VIII. — A Sketch of the Agriculture and Horti- 
culture of Japan. By S. S. 
Gentlemen, 
The Agriculture of a great part of India, of China, and of 
•Japan, is conducted with so much industi-y, neatness, and skill, that 
it desen^es greater attention paying to it in Europe, than is at present 
the case ; for much might be learnt from it, and many usefiil hints taken 
from the various modes in which so great a variety of plants are culti- 
vated in those regions. The care, ingenuity, and variety, of operations, 
which are employed during their gi'owth, renders the Agriculture of 
most of the Eastern countries, in many respects, like the Horticulture 
of Europe. 
It is at present, my intention to give only a slight sketch of the Agri- 
culture and Horticulture of Japan. There is, perhaps, no country in 
the world so highly cultivated, nor any in which so much food is raised 
on the same space of ground for the subsistence of man, but unfortu- 
nately the jealousy of the government is so great as nearly to exclude 
strangers from the counti'y, and render our knowledge of their modes 
of culture very slight and imperfect. 
The land of Japan, as far as it has been seen by Europeans, is not, 
in general, remarkable for its natural fertility ; it consists chiefly of 
clay or sand, but of course in so large a country there must be many 
varieties of soil. The land in general is cultivated by the spade and 
hoe ; the plough is, however, sometimes used, and is either drawn by 
horses, oxen, or cows : even the steep sides of the hills and mountains 
are cultivated to their summits, which all travellers in that country 
agree, has a most pleasing and extraordinary appearance. They 
have no meadows, and very few fences to the .Jields, as the small 
