THE STOCK-RAIZING OF OKI ISLAND

Abstract

The author has studied the stock-raizing of Oki island, an isolatedd island in the Sea of Japan. The results may be sununerized as follows: 1. In the 12_??_13 centuries, there were several grazing grounds in Oki island. They were the estate of a powerful family. 2. The “Makihata” (maki=pasture, hata=upland field) system was established in the 1.6 th. century, a system to utilize a land rotationally for stockraizing and cultivation in a period of four, years. The system was highly regardedas a means of self-supporting of food in an isolated island as Oki in the feudal age. So the system was widely put in practice. 3. In the Tokugawa period (1603_??_1867), each family in. Oki had 2.4 head of live-stock on the average. The figures were the highest in Japan at that time. 4. At the time when, the “Makihata” system was prevailing, almost the same number of cattle and horses were kept in Oki as plough-live-stock. As to cattle, bulls were dominant in number owing to their vigorousness. 5. In the Meiji period. (1868_??_1912), as a new habit of flesh diet gradually diffused to the people of our country, cattle became to have a new rôle other than being a plough-live-stock. A remarkable decrease in number of horses took place in Oki, and cows, instead of bulls, were mainly kept for the purpose of breeding. 6. Along with the change as mentionedd above, the “Makihata” system disintegrated. The area of Makihata (pasture-field) became to be used more and more widely as grazing ground and less and less as cultivated land. 7. Now, the stock-raizing in Oki has differentiated according to region. Cattle are.bred and brought-up in the graizing grounds in Dozen, the southwestern portion of Oki, where the Makilata had. occupied an extensive area. The calves and cattle brought-up in Dozen are sold to Dogo, the north-eastern portion of Oki, where the arable lands are not scanty. There the calves and cattle are fattened in sheds, then sold to the markets in the main island of Japan. 8. In some, part of Dozen, a plan has laid in regard to the intensive use of graizing grounds. Though it is slow, the project is now in progress.