JAPAN
320
JAPAN
holds the first place, but that produced by the countrj'
does not supply the demand, and even when the crop
has been good it is necessary to import it. The wheat
crop is also far from being sufficient. Tea is an im-
portant article of commerce; however, from 1897 to
1907 the area devoted to its cultivation decreased
from 5S,S92 cho to 50,458, and the yield from 8,471,-
956 kwan to 7,047,193. Sugar cane has not found
favourable soil in Japan, and each year this commod-
ity has also to be purchased abroad for large sums.
By a law of March, 1904, the Government reserved to
itself the monopoly of tobacco. According to this law
the peasant continues to cultivate the plant as for-
merly. The Government buys the leaves from the
cultivator, and distributes them for preparation
among the state manufacturers. The products of the
soil III iiuiiii r HI 111 I \ ui i IK \( itheless, the pro-
cesbtb of culti\dtion are still primitne That is why
the Government ende iv ours to popularize throughout
the country the scientific principles in force in the agri-
cultural countries of Europe and .America, and with
this object also it has founded a school of agriculture
and institutions which award premiums for success in
agriculture.
Live Stock. — While labouring for the development of agriculture the Government also encourages cattle breeding. With a view to improving the breeds of cows and horses it has established state pas- tures, in which stallions and bulls are raised and placed at the disposiil of breeders. Number of bul- locks and cows (.U March, 1908), 1,190,:57:?; hor,ses and mares, 1,465,466; goats, 78,251; swine, 284,- 708; sheep, 2769. Number of slaughter-hou.ses, 1111; animals slaughtered: cows, 167,458; horses, 69,- 268; pigs, 131,8.58. Number of veterinary surgeons, 4500. Value of slaughtered animals: cows, 9,901,- 613 yen; horses, 1,531,000 yen; pigs, 1,875,000 yen. Quantity of milk, 173,540 koku; value, 5,080,471 yen.
Forests. — Japan is rich in forests. They cover an area of 22,000,000 cho, that is six-tenths of the terri- tory of the empire. Hitherto cultivation of the forests
did not make great progress, ideas on this subject being
very backward, but the Government carefully elab-
orated a plan of reform in the forestry administration.
According to a law passed in 1907 the Government
may use its authority to prevent the destruction and
to secure the re-wooding of forests belonging to the
State, to private individuals, to the Shintoist and
Buddhist temples. The law also supervises and
regulates the periodical felling of trees. Forests
are divided into four clas.ses: forests belonging to the
State, 7,222,518 cho; to the Crown, 2,109,098 cho; to
the temples, 7,991,796 cho; to private owners, 4,676,-
688 cho. Forest products in 1907: building wood,
34,236,114 yen; fire wood, 24,392,8.36 yen. The an-
nual average of forest products varied in the past ten
years between 50,000,000 and 60,000,000 yen.
Indu.stries. — Fishing. — From the earliest times the fishing industry has been in a flourishing condition in Japan. Formerly fish was the sole gift made. To- gether with rice it forms the basis of Japanese diet, for which reason the Japanese Government has not ceased to encourage the industry of deep-sea fishing. Fishery schools have been founded, and prizes granted for fishing on the high seas; laws for the protec- tion of fi.sh have been for some time in force. The fol- lowing table shows the progress of the industry and the profit in yen: —
Year
Fresh Fish
Salt and Dried
Fi.sh
lSil4
1S97
1901
1904
1907
11,951,872 yen
30,955,157 •■
42,826,850 "
42,632,633 "
54,073,844 ••
13.474,000 yen
29,740,460 "
30,075,953 •
31,726,659 "
33,542,281 "
In 1907, 3,200,000 persons (15% of the population)
were engaged in fi.shing or some trade connectetl there-
with. Number of fishing boats, 420,000, of which a
number did not exceed 30 feet in length. It is only
recently that Japan has .sought a market for its fish,
salt, smoked, or preserved in oil. The Japanese pre-
pare, chiefly from herrings and sardines, a fish oil, of
which the exportation in 1907 had reached a figure of
2,975,235 yen. 20,727 fish ponds in which fish are fed
produced the sum of 2,805,590 yen.
Snll-pilx. — The area occupied by salt-works equals 8,295 cho; 16,184 boilers are used in the manufacture of salt. Product in 1907, 5,578,142 koku, valued at about 10,000,000 yen for the jobbers. A law reserves to the Government the monopoly of the sale of salt. Salt is manufactured by private citizens, the Govern- ment purchases it, and sells it again to the merchants, all at a fixed rate. 122,132 persons labour at the man- ufacture of .salt.
Mine.t. — Before 1S6S the working of mines was in a most rudimentary condition and their output was very mediocre. In order to improve and develop this branch of industry the Government sent for foreign engineers and utilized the mineral resources. Later on most of these mines were sold to private owners. In 1890 a law was published regarding the regimen of mines, which was replaced by another law in July, 1905. According to this now legislation those who de- sire to work mines are ol>ligc'd tn have a permit either of investigation or of exploitiition to be issued by the minister of agriculture and commerce. For the ad- ministration of mines the country is divided into five large districts, each having a bureau for the inspection of mines. Japanese subjects and every civilian may acquire mining privileges. Fureigncrs may be ad- mitted as members or stockholders in mining com- panies. The following are the number of authoriza- tions granted within eleven years for the investigation and the exploitation of mines, and the extent of the privileges, in t.subu: —
