FARMING IN JAPAN.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 235, 5 October 1927, Page 9

FARMING IN JAPAN.

LARGE YIELDS FROM LAND. AS GOOD AS IIEW ZEALAHS. A VISITOR TO THE DOMINION SPEAKS. f our farms are not ucarly »0 big as yours, I think that our methods are quite as good, and that our results are the same." That is what Mr. K. Taguchi said when comparing farming In "New Zealand with farming in.iapan. Mr. Taguchi is connected with the Department of Agriculture of the Japanese Government, and is in New Kealand to study sheep breeding and farming, and dairy work in this country. Farms in Japan are certainly not as big as those of the Dominion. New Zealand's largest sheep station has an ac|eage of over 300,000, but. Mr- Taguchi says, very few farms in Japan arc more than five acres in area. But the quality of the land is excellent. On a farm of four or five acres, ten slieep, two head of cattle and one horse can easily be grazed. Even in New Zealand, where we think that onr sheep rearing country is second to none, such a yield would be considered remarkable. Nearly all the land used for farming' is controlled by the Government's Department of Agriculture, which is divided into several bureaux, tha live-stock bureau, the fishing bureau and others. Houses for the farmers are pood, clean dwellings, and everyone with a few acres to care for is very happy. Not only is stock cared for on Japanese farms, but rice is also grown in large quantities. Nearly every farm has its rice plantations. Poultry is also kept. "Of course," said Mr. Taguchi. the terrible earthquake wc had in 1923 set us back a lot, but we arc now quickly recovering." Sheep in Australia, so Mr. Tayucln , says, are better than in New Zealand. This is due mainly to the breed which is encouraged there, the Merino, while in this country most of the stock are Ron«- ' ney. Southdown or Corriedale. Mr. Tajruchi has visited the Depart - ment of Agriculture in Wellington. He was in that city for two weeks, and has also been in the South Island, where he stayed with several well-known farmers, and studied breeding and grazing. He says that he regrets that he has not been able to visit the East Coast and , Hawke's Bay districts. On Friday he , will sail for Sydney, and, after a short , stay in Australia, will return to Japan.