Identifier: narrativeofexped05perr (find matches)
Title: Narrative of the expedition of an American squadron to the China seas and Japan
Year: 1857 (1850s)
Authors: Perry, Matthew Calbraith, 1794-1858 Hawks, Francis L. (Francis Lister), 1798-1866
Subjects: United States Naval Expedition to Japan (1852-1854)
Publisher: New York, D. Appleton and company (etc., etc.)
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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nerally, isdivided into small allotments appropriated to single individuals, so that thesurface of the country has rather the appearance of being divided into highlycultivated gardens than overspread with fertile fields. In preparing the landfor the cultivation of rice it is first overflowed, and then the laborer, whogoes to work knee deep into the mud and water, hoes it into furrows. Theplough is used subsequently for further loosening the soil, and is followed bythe application of the harrow. All this process is carried on while the landis overflowed, and although this is considered by our agriculturists as thevery worst kind of farming, it seems very well adapted to Lew Chewanhusbandry with its inferior implements. The rice is not sown broad-castover the fields, but first grown in plots and then transplanted by hand. Thewater was observed always covering the fields, but it was not ascertainedwhether it was ever drawn off, probably, however, not until the harvest, iiM Mi illillll %:
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AGRICULTURE OF LEW CHEW. 363 which takes place before the rice is dead ripe. When this occurs theplants are cut, gathered into bundles, and then spread out to dry in the airand sun. The product gives something like twenty bushels to the acre, andthe head of the grain is remarkably large and full, in consequence, probably,of the mode of growth by transplantation. The rice fields probably yieldtwo crops annually, with an alternation of a supply of taro or sweet potatoes,both of which are extensively cultivated. Sugar cane, wheat, cotton, barleyin small quantities, tobacco, several varieties of millet, sago, beans, peanuts,turnips, peas, radishes of very large size, some being three feet in length andtwelve inches in circumference, egg-plants, onions, and cucumbers, are allfound growing in the island. Of fruits there are the peach, the watermelon, thebanana, the wild raspberry, and the fig. Grass is not cultivated, but somewild and coarse varieties are occasionally seen. It might be supp

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