In 1913 Yarilov, the prominent historian of pedology, found the germ of soil science in ideas of some natural philosophers in ancient Greece, whereas in the Orient the writer has found another germ of soil science in the Yukung(禹貢), the chapter of the Shooking(書経) which is one of the best-known Chinese classics. According to the Chinese legend recorded in the chapter, in the period of the Yao(堯) dynasty the celebrated engineer Yu(禹), the Minister of Public Works, recognized differences in types of soils and he established nine classes of soils based on their morphological characteristics. Some American and Chinese soil scientists believed that the Yukung was written, in forty centuries ago. The chapter, however, is under the influence of the idea of "Wuhsingshuo(五行説)"(Theory of the Five Elements) which became very popular in the 3rd or 4th century BC. As to the reliability of this historical document, if the above fact be correct, we thus see that in the 3rd or 4th century BC, the Yukung was written by Confucians. In considering the description of soils written in the Yukung, the writer arrives at the following conclusions: 1) Morphological characteristics of soils, such as color, texture, consistence, and structure, were taken into consideration in the ancient Chindse system of soil classification. It is interesting to note that such a method is in several points in common with that of the modern pedology. 2) It, however, must be noticed that the description of color was not a reflection of actual soil colors, but it was strongly enthralled by "Wuhsingshuo" being a superstition, Although morphological concepts, including texture, consistence, and structure, were expressed by Chinese characters such as 埴(chih)(clayey), 壤(jang) (mellow), 墳(fen)(rich), 〓(lu)(thin or light), and 塗泥(tuni)(miry mud); each Chinese character does not give a single meaning, but it must he regarded as a comprehensive form including two or more modern morphological terms. From this we may say that these characters mean germinal and immature concepts of the modern morphological terms. 3) It is necessary to point out that one of the oldest soil geographical concepts and the most primitive type of soil ratings are recognized in the Yukung.

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