愛知県における水稲集団栽培地域とその限界性

抄録

In the agriculture of Japan, cooperative work for the purpose of production is lately spreading over the whole country. In Aichi Pref., the group cultivation of waterfield rice plants was performed, and so it became the object of public attention. We are now in a period of transition from private management to joint cooperative.
This practice sets up a district with a farming settlement as the central figure. Rice of only one kind is used and the first grains of rice are set aside. A schedule of the cooperative water (for irrigation) control, extermination of noxious insects and fertilizer is also kept. Among them, we can see some groups which are formed of ten farming houses or so and are kept at cooperative work by mechanized farming up to harvest time.
This practice was first introduced into the area where damage is more or less always follows typhoon and sea-water, and where the area is of low productive capacity. Nowadays there is greater possibility for extension towards the practice area, where irrigation facilities from river and reservoir (pond) are provided; however, the author does not see much chance of it towards an area in the mountains where imperfect irrigation facilities are found.
Group cultivation of aquatic rice differs in degree according to the difference of agricultural management in a village community; in a village where hothouse management is incorporated in the new practice, and the cultivation of rice plant is subordinated to it, the cooperation has a tendency to be limited with in confines which do not restrict the main field to the management. It has little influence on the other field, with the exception of rice plants, and only gives an opportunity for partial cooperation. There is ample hope for the most favorable growth of cooperation in a farming settlement where many commuters who have modern sense live in farmhouses within easy reach of the city, and have an income of ready money. In these farming settlements, people are concerned about the elevation of labor productivity by establishing a system of wages, as compared with the increase of harvesting and the economy of the price for fartilizer. In a farming village of a rice field area, where they have little influence from the city, on the other hand, there is a fair possivility that people may continue such cooperation within the limit of traditional practice, when there is no need to alter institutions as a requisite condition for production by exchange of land and mechanization.
In any case, farmers are interested in the advantages claimed for this group cultivation, though there are many problems awaiting solution at different stages in each districts. Accordingly, there is still more a possibility for exteusion of this practice, towards the area where irrigation is provided.