THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SCALE OF LAND USE AND UTILIZATION OF LABOR IN THE AGRICULTURE OF THE MINOWAR EGION, INA VALLEY, NAGANO PREFECTURE

Abstract

In order to observe the relationship between the scale of agricultural land use and the utilization of farm labour, the writer studied the Minowa Region of the Ina Valley in Nagano Prefecture. In this area, the, amount of agricu-ltural land per farm household and that per labour are by section interrela-ted. According to the scale of agricultural land use, this region is divided into four parts 1. Large scale. part. Sections of the upper and middle of the fan west of the Tenryu River. 2. Medium scale part. Sections of the edge of. the terrace cliff west of the Tenryu River. 3. Sub-medium scale part. Southern section of the terrace east. of the Tenryu River. 4. Small scale part. Northern sections of the flood plain and terrace east of the Tenryu River. The writer studied this region for purposes of detailed observation by traversing a section across the Tenryu from east to west and reached the following conclusions Type of agricultural land use The larger the scale of land use, the poorer its natural condition and the smaller the ratio of paddy field. In this type cultivation requires much labor with small area of paddy limitting the fields, mulberry farms prevail and are especially large in scales 1. In scales 4, there are Many orchards (apple) that require even more labor. Intensity of labor utilization-Jn terms of growing crops, the smaller the scale of the farm, the more intensive. the application of labor. This is partially due to the fact that small scale farms are generally associated. with more productive soils. Means of production The use of cattle in cultivation is common in scales 1, 2 and 4. Mechanization is high in scales 2 and 4 but lower at the foot of both mountains in scales 1 and 3 due to the absence of electric cable facilitiesfor motive power. As a method of carrying goods, ox, carts and wagons are extensively, used in scales 1 and -2, backs of cattle in scale 3, And backs of men in scale 4. Generally, the smaller the scale of fanning, the more. primitive the means of carrying. This fact is largely related to terrain conditions, the w id thof farm roads, the degree of slope, and the distance from roads to farms. Under scale 1, extensive areas are left uncultivated although farmers have been trying to utilize more agricultural labor by, enlarging the amount of land under cultivation. In scale 4, they. have been. accomplishing the same purpose by more intensiv5 and rational land. utilization; it appe ars that this tendency will be strengthened in. the future.