有明海干拓地の農業地理学的特質とその問題

抄録

Recently in Japan, reclamation has suddenly come to be taken seriously. Especially, the reclamation of the coasts of Ariake Bay and Shiranubi Bay helds an important position in this field from the point of view of both quality and quantity.
At present, on the coasts of the said two bays, tidal lands are being brought under cultivation in twenty-three districts with an area of 6, 500 hectares in the total. It is reported that the possible reclamation lands there covers an area of nearly 200, 000 hectares.
The agricultural geographical characteristics of the reclaimed lands in the lands in the region are observed throngh the land form, the soil, the weather, the watersupply and others. These natural conditions combine a favorable side with an unfavorable one toward the reclamation works of tidal land and the farm management after clearing. Accordingly, it is basically important that the favorable side should be made the most of and the unfavorable one should be subdued.
In the concrete, however, attention must be paid to the following two points.
(1) Although “reclamation” means “drainage”, water for irrigation is also needful for the lmprovement of the cultivated land. It is difficult, however, to insure water for irrigation. And, to make matters worse, the problem of irrigation is neglected despite of its indispensability. Therefore, it should be expected that it costs a great deal to facilitate irrigation for rice-croping which is the primary object.
(2) Including expenditure for the irrigation works, dearing expense per acre becomes huge. Probably, it will exceed ¥3, 000, 000 per acre. Consequently, lowering of dearing expense per acre is absolutely necessary. As a means to this end, it becomes a matter of urgent necessity especially and to improve the technics of reclamation and to shorten the period of the works.