Abstract
The areas of mulberry-fields in Japan and also in Mie prefercture were largest in 1930, but in 1958 they are 27% and 15% of each of the areas used as mulberry-fields in 1930.
In this research I have investigated the decrease of mulberry-fields in relation to the growth of the Kuwana-Yokkaichi coastal industrial district and to the competition of tea-plants culture in Hokusei District (the Northern Mie Prefecture).
At present the area of mulberry-fieids in Hokusei District is 16% of that in 1930.
(1) The Hokusei District is now the center of the distribution of mulberry-fieids, taking the place of the central Mie prefecture which was the center of the fields in former days. The regional difference of the degree of the decrease in Hokusei District, however, is remarkable. Formerly we could see mulberry-fields everywhere, but now they remain mainly in the district from the central hilly part to the foot of Suzuka mountains and its decrease is remarkable along the seaside area and in the southern region.
(2) The remaining mulberry-fields are distributed, topographically, on, the hill land, the uplands and on the lower part of the slope of the bases of mountains, geologically, on and around Kuroboku soils (black humus) of the diluvial formation, and from the point of irrigation, on the land which is irrigated by rain water and in danger of damage from drought. Such lands are low in productivity. And this is the main reason why the farmers in these regions adhere to raising mulberry-trees.
(3) Recently the regional differentiation of the cultivation of farm crops is going on. Particularly the diffusion of the commercial crops, such as sweet potatoes, greens and tea plants, is preventing the revival of the mulberry-fields on even expelling them.
The remarkable decrease of the mulberry-fields in the southern region whose center is Suzuka-gun has been caused by the increase of teafields. Hitherto the cultivation of mulberry-trees and tea-trees have repeated intense alternation on the land utilization due to the competition on labor. At present the tea-fields are distributed principally on Kuroboku soils in the alluvial fan of the Utsube-river.
(4) The growth of the seaside industrial districts whose centers are Kuwana City and Yokkaichi City is changing the character of farming and the scale of sericulture (mulberry-fields) in the suburban districts.
Namaly the increase of side-working farmers in these district leads to the shortage of labor and urge the decline of mulberry-fields and sericulture which demand more labor than other agricultural managements.
The corelation between the rate of side-working farmers and the rate of the remainder of the mulberry-fields is clearly observed. In the high rate area of the side-working farmers extensive management prevails, and the mulberry-fields in this area are left as the means of extensive management.
