Expenditures of the Russo-Japanese war / by Gotaro Ogawa.

EFFECTS ON AGRICULTURE

239

HOUSEHOLDS FARMING ONLY AND THOSE WITH ADDITIONAL OCCUPATIONS,
1903-1906
Yarming Farming and
Year Farming additional Total
ronly occupations
1903............................ 3,731,383 1,627,682 5,359,065
I94............................. 3,776,798 1,639,905 5,416,703
I905............................. 3,759,I63 1,620,806 5,379,969
I906.................. 3,819,625 1,558,712 5,378,337
Thus, in spite of the fact that farming hands were enlisted
and farming cattle and horses were commandeered, both the
land under cultivation and the number of farming households increased. Why? The key to the question lies in the
over-population of the farming class in the country. It is a
well-known fact that our tillers of soil are far too numerous
for the area of land under cultivation, and there is ample
room for economizing labor. The war forced this necessary
economy, and that was why the cultivated land saw no decrease or desolation. On the other hand, the juvenile, aged,
and feminine labor, which was not fully utilized in peace time
through over-population, found a new sphere of usefulness
during the war, while the male adult labor was stimulated to
do a larger share of work than usual. Thus, the gap produced
by the war was filled almost entirely. There was also a new
tendency in evidence to replace labor by other means. This
was shown in the increased number of inventions in agricultural implements and in greater use of horses and cattle in
farming.
NUMBER OF PATENTED AGRICULTURAL INVENTIONS, I90I-I905
Class 190I 1902 I903 1904 1905
Scricultural apparatus.................. 6 I4 II II 32
Farming apparatus..................... 29 42 33 35 52
Husking machines...................... 6 6 I 5 15
Rice-cleaning machines................ 6 8 4 Io 25
It is to be noted that the number of patented inventions
in farming apparatus increased remarkably during the war,