Abstract
This report is to show (a) the historical background of the peach cultivation and (b) the regional differences in the development of the peach cultivation, and in the influence of the capital of canning industries today, in Fukushima Basin.
The results are as follows;
1) Before the World War II the peach cultivation in Fukusnima Basin was in most cases set about by the lower class peasants (the tennants farmers) who fell off in their sericulture, a main production there. After the war peach cultivation has been introduced into every class of the farmers instead of the prewar sericulture.
2) They grow, besides peaches, apples and rice crops, or rice crops. The small scale peasants are more dependent on peach cultivation.
3) After the war the capital of canning industries and brokers have pushed into the area and have caused various influences. The new growing districts and small scale peasants are more influenced.
4) The shipment is divided into two types;
(1) The more developed type of shipment is through Nokyo, Agricultural Cooperative Associations. (e.g. in Yuno-machi).
(2) The less developed type of individual shipment is through brokers (e.g. in Kamihobara-mura, where the influence of the canning industries and brokers are remarkable).
5) Peach cultivation asks for concentration of labor at a time, especially when fruits are wrapped with paperbags, and at the harvest time. The general tendency is to save labor by omitting the wrapping, etc. But the using of a lot of labor and its cocentration at a time are really still unavoidable in the regions where canning industries and the market expect the wrapping in order to keep high quality.
