近代馬匹改良政策と馬産地域の対応 : 青森県上北郡を対象にして

抄録

The purpose of this paper is to clarify the influence of the horse improvement policy in horse-producing area. Former studies of the horse industry in the modern age have treated mainly the using aspect -how farmers used or kept horses-, and not treated the producing aspect sufficiently. However, the characteristics of the industry are that the horse improvement policy was carried out rapidly to satisfy the military demand, and that most of Japanese horses were interbred with foreign ones as a result. Therefore, the analysis of producing is indispensable for that of using because horse producing was directly connected with the policy. As to the research period this paper focuses on the late Meiji and the Taisho era in which the horse improvement was most developed, and as to the research area on Kamikita county Aomori prefecture that was a typical horse-producing area at that time. By examining concrete means to carry out the policy-stallion system and purchase at auction market-and comparing them with the grazing land policy, this study clarifies the following two points: First, in former producing area, the horse improvement couldn't be carried out without restricting the number of horses produced, because of the grazing land shortage. Second, the horse improvement policy encouraged large-scale producers who could produce horses demanded from the military, and obliged small-scale producers who couldn't to decrease their production consequently.