Belgium 53.9 Prussia 50.3 France 50.2 Germany 43.4 Denmark 42.5 Italy 39.9 Hungary 37.7 Austria 36.7 Spain 35.7 Holland 27.3 England 27.9 Portugal 24.9 European Russia 16.4 Japan 13.8 Japanese habitually plead that their extraordinarily low place on this list is the result, not of want of industry, but of natural obstacles, much of the surface of their islands consisting of mountains and hills which cannot be made arable. The “Nichi Nichi” alleges that such an excuse is merely partial, and that a little energy and resolution would soon change the situation. At any rate, the opposition offered by politicians to the present land tax is not in the genuine interests of agriculture, but in the interests of political popularity. * * * * * Mr. Megata, an official of the Finance Department and an expert statistician, has figured out that in 1901 more than 15,000,000 acres were in cultivation. * * * * * The actual yield of rice for ten years (1900-1909) is indicated in the following table:— KOKU. 1900 41,466,422 1901 46,914,434 1902 36,932,266 1903 46,473,298 1904 51,430,321 1905 38,172,560 1906 46,302,530 1907 49,052,065 1908 51,932,893 1909 52,437,662 Average 46,114,451 FRUIT-GROWING IN JAPAN[200]