Efforts have successfully been made to intro duce many good breeds of livestock from Eu rope and America. Great improvement is no ticed in the breeds of fowls, good breeds being largely introduced from abroad.
Farmers are becoming aware of the value and usefulness of science, and under the guid ance of experts, directly or indirectly, they are making a gradual but constant improvement, which must of course result in increased pro duction. Governments, central and local, are making constant effort to introduce improve ments in agriculture and assist the farmer.
Agricultural education is encouraged. Agri cultural instructions are given in the higher primary schools of villages and there are more than 7,000 continuation schools for agriculture, after the methods of the Fortbildings-schule of Germany. Agricultural schools are divided into two classes, higher and lower, almost every prefecture having one or more of the former, and various counties having the latter; special schools, especially for seticulture, horticulture and veterinary, not being wanting. There are at present three higher agricultural schools, two government establishments and one private school in Tolcio established by the Agricultural Society of Japan. There are at present two university colleges, one in Tokio and another in Sapporo Each has a subsidiary course similar in grade to the higher agricultural schools. Ag ricultural courses are given in the common and higher normal schools. Local agricultural schools receive aid from the national funds. Agricultural courses of a few weeks are being given in various places of every prefecture. Lectures for farmers are well attended and show excellent results.
There are now three higher sericulturel schools established by the government ; in Tokio, in Wuyeda in Negates prefecture, and in Kioto, in the two former of which instruction in silk reeling is also given. There are also many local institutes intended to give sericultural instruc tion. Agricultural experiment stations are many. One central station with its branch sta tions is established by government ; also one sericultural experiment station with five branches : (1) Agriculture proper; (2) agri cultural chemistry; (3) agronomy; (4) vege table pathology; (5) entomology. Almost every prefecture has an agricultural or sericulturel experiment station; aid being given from the national fund; many countries and villagei have trial fields; also private institutes are not wanting.
Agricultural societies are divided into village societies, county societies and prefczture socie ties, there being one in every prefecture, in every county, in nearly all villages, according to the law relating to agricultural societies, and aid is given from the national fund and often from local governments, counties and villages, and we have now a central, the Imperial Soci ety. There are also many general and special societies aside from those established according to the law relating to agricultural associations: Prefectures and counties, and even villages, often employ agricultural, dendrological, .seri cultural and other experts to give free lectures and suggestions to farmers, and the central and local governments often hold industrial and ag; ricultural exhibitions.
The government is now making a great el. fore to promote co-operative societies, includ ing credit societies. These societies are all ex. ceedingly important for the small farmers of Japan and they now number more than 11,50a. Besides the law passed in 1900 relating to indus trial societies, there exists a law relating to as sociations for important products, a law relat ing to livestock associations and a law relating to tea industry associations, all of which seek to promote these respective industries on the basis of co-operative principles. Great effotts are also being made to promote sericulture by giving special instruction, and a law has been passed to prevent silkworm diseases by securing to the farmer good and sound eggs.
Among the means to promote the improve ment of livestock, large pasture has been es tablished in the Imperial domains where good breeds of horses and cattle are raised. The government has also established a zoo technical experiment station with its three branch sta tions, three stud farms and 15 stallion depots. Laws have been passed as follows : For the in spection of stallions (1897) ; for the preven tion of animal plagues (1896) ; and for the pre vention of bovine tuberculosis (1901).
Preventive and destructive means against in jurious insects are under the guidance of ex perts and are gradually coming into use among farmers. A law designed to enforce, when nec essary, the means for prevention was passed in 1896.
To prevent fraud in artificial manures, a law' was passed providing for the superVision of all commercial fertilizers and each prefecture has a chemical laboratory to analyze the manure whenever requested. Besides credit-societies to provide small capital, the government has es tablished the Industrial Bank of Japan, which is a central and special credit fonder and local agricultural and industrial banks of similar. na ture. These banks lend capital for agricultural and other industries principally on mortgage, allowing a low interest on a long term.
Land improvements are now going on very rapidly with the aid of the national and local funds, especially to promote drainage and irri gation in paddy fields and to overcome the small size and irregular form of the land par cels, which has been a great drawback in tilling operations. To this end the law relating to adjustment of farm lands was promulgated in 1899, which has now in addition the aim to pro mote the clearing of land and drying of water to get more arable field. Finally it may be stated that many agricultural products are feel ing the pressure from without, on account of the keen competition, which may result in re duced prices. Some think that sooner or later Japanese agriculture will be conducted on a large scale, but those who know the climate and the contour of the country do not believe that Japanese farming could be organized on the Occidental large farming system.