522 
PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION E. 
Spinach, a kind of sage, mint, and other herbs are grown ; also a 
kind of water celery, and the roots of various wild herbs are used as 
vegetables. Persimmons are largely grown, and are mainly used 
dried , and strung on sticks. Kang Hon is supposed to grow the best 
persimmons. 
Peaches, apricots, plums, cherries, nectarines, &c., are grown, as 
are pears and apples, but they are all very inferior, and are usually 
picked pretty over-ripe, and so spoilt according to our ideas. Oranges 
are grown in Quelpart, and a kind of small lime is common in other 
parts of Corea. The quinces of Corea are exceptionally large and 
good. Walnuts and chestnuts are very plentiful and good, and in 
some places fine filberts are procurable. Melons, cucumbers, gourds, 
and marrows of all kinds grow very plentifully in the summer, and are 
eaten largely by the people, raw and unripe. With careful cultivation 
most of the fruit could evidently be immensely improved. 
(3.) THE MODE OF LAND TENURE AND THE PRICE OF LAND. 
Tenure. — All land in Corea is regarded as Crown property, 
and is taxed at a yearly rate. The ancient idea with regard to the 
land was that it all belonged to the king, who was in the position of 
the father of a large family, and divided it out to his subjects, who 
were bound to make some return to him for his benevolence, which 
return took the shape of payment of taxes. Every male Corean is in 
theory entitled to a portion of the land, not to exceed more than three 
mal-cJiiki. High and low must share alike, and all men are thus to 
be on an equality as regards property. At a change of dynasty all 
the land relapses to the Crown, and should be redivided again amongst 
every male subject in equal divisions. Thus a common man with a 
large family of sons would be a far larger land-owner than a high- 
born man with no children. Property has been amassed by individuals 
in Corea, because, as the natural consequence of such a division, 
worthless and idle men soon sold their shares to the industrious. It 
is curious to note such an advanced “ socialistic” idea being thought 
compatible with a system of despotic government. Of course the 
probabilities are that such a redivision would never take place, even if 
there were another change of dynasty. At the present day the land 
is very largely in the hands of large landed proprietors, who let it out to 
the peasantry. Bent for land is apparently never paid in money in 
Corea, but always in kind ; the landlord and the tenant share equally 
the proceeds of the land, while the landlord pays the taxes. All that 
is produced on the land must, according to custom, be divided into 
two equal shares between tenant and landlord. There are also 
country nyangpans , who live on their family estates, and have them 
farmed by the slaves of the family. Also, there are small peasant 
proprietors who own small estates of their own, and have no dues to 
pay but the royal taxes. The taxes in the province of Kyungkein-To, 
which is the royal province, are paid in money ; but in the outlying 
provinces, I believe, it is the rule that all taxes are paid to the king in 
kind. Of course, rice, the staple production, forms a great proportion 
of these taxes. 
As far as I can find out, no land is entailed in Corea, and all 
may be parted with by the present owner at will. On the death of 
the proprietor, all his sons divide the property equally, and though, of 
