THE BARE HILLS OF THE OKAYAMA DISTRICT (2)

Abstract

1. It is held that bare hills result from two primary causes: one is a natural cause rooted in geological and climatological conditions while the other is cultural in origin and related. to forest denudation. for purposes of salt and china manufacturing. Natural conditions should be considered as a constant for a period of a few hundred years, hence only cultural factors are considered here. 2. China manufacturing prospered in the 18th century but after that time it declined and denudation of forests was largely halted. As a result, forests which had been cutover became relatively thick. 3. Based on manuscripts dating back to the 18th century, it may be presumed that salt manufacturing started at that time. Since 1840 or 1850, coal has been used for fuel in salt manufacturing, however before that time, twigs provided the bulk of the fuel used. These were obtained from shoots growing in the neighboring private forests rather than from public ones. As the twigs cut in the district were not sufficient to meet the demand of salt manufacturers. along the Okayama coast, prior to 1790, they were brought down from the northern mountains and from the west by river craft and used in the manufacture of salt and in other local industries. Since that time, hilltops along the coast began to become bare. 4. Most of these hills were originally covered by commonly-owned forests from which the people in the community gathered their fuel needs. Ho-wever, they were prohibited from gathering fuel for the production of salt, china, charcoal, fish fertilizer etc. without pern-fission. In the prohibition had been violated, disputes would have occurred and recorded bemuse the Okayama clan recorded a great many cases of such disputes over forest right. But, since no such case can be found concerning commonly-owned forests, it is believed that the regulations were followed. 5. The above-mentioned points way be summarized as follow: Forests where fuel for manufacturing was gathered are not now denuded, but the commonlyowned forests from which domestic fuel needs were gathered are bare. It is concluded that bare hills may not have originated froin the supply of fuel needs to salt and other industries, but rather should be attributed to faulty control of the commonly-owned forest.