Thecountryisadeadlevel，andmainlyanartificialmudflatorswamp，inwhosefertileoozevariousaquaticbirdswerewading，andinwhichhundredsofmenandwomenwerewadingtoo，abovetheirkneesinslush；forthisplainofYedoismainlyagreatrice-

　　field，andthisisthebusyseasonofrice-planting；forhere，inthesenseinwhichweunderstandit，theydonot“casttheirbreaduponthewaters。“ThereareeightornineleadingvarietiesofricegrowninJapan，allofwhich，exceptanuplandspecies，requiremud，water，andmuchpuddlingandnastywork。RiceisthestaplefoodandthewealthofJapan。Itsrevenueswereestimatedinrice。Riceisgrownalmostwhereverirrigationispossible。

　　Therice-fieldsareusuallyverysmallandofallshapes。A

　　quarterofanacreisagood-sizedfield。ThericecropplantedinJuneisnotreapedtillNovember，butinthemeantimeitneedstobe“puddled“threetimes，i。e。forallthepeopletoturnintotheslush，andgruboutalltheweedsandtangledaquaticplants，whichweavethemselvesfromtufttotuft，andpuddleupthemudafreshroundtheroots。Itgrowsinwatertillitisripe，whenthefieldsaredriedoff。Anacreofthebestlandproducesannuallyaboutfifty-fourbushelsofrice，andoftheworstaboutthirty。

　　OntheplainofYedo，besidesthenearlycontinuousvillagesalongthecausewayedroad，thereareislands，astheymaybecalled，ofvillagessurroundedbytrees，andhundredsofpleasantoasesonwhichwheatreadyforthesickle，onions，millet，beans，andpeas，wereflourishing。Therewerelotuspondstoo，inwhichthegloriouslily，Nelumbonucifera，isbeinggrownforthesacrilegiouspurposeofbeingeaten！Itssplendidclassicalleavesarealreadyafootabovethewater。

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