In a “model village,” where “the farmers are always diligent,” a small tenant’s income was 508 yen and expenditure 527 yen; loss, 19 yen.  Clothes cost 95 yen and food 190 yen. (Cost of fish and meat, 4-3/4 yen.) There was an expenditure on medicine of 1-1/2 yen and on tobacco and sake ("only enjoyment”) 10 yen.

Twenty per cent, of the farmers, I was told, “lead a middle-class life and occupy a somewhat rational area of land.”  The budgets often of these men, who own their own land, show a balance of 85 yen.  “If they were tenants they would not be in such a good condition.”  “We think the farmer ought to have 2 cho.”

BUDGETS OF FARMERS ON THE LAND OF THE HOMMA CLAN, YAMAGATA (page 186).—­A tenant had 3 cho of paddy and a small piece of vegetable land.  There lived with him his wife, two sons and the widow and child of the eldest son.  After paying his rent he had 30 koku of rice left.  The cost of production and taxes, 100 yen or a little more, had to come out of that.  This tenant had a debt of 250 yen.

A sturdy wagoner with a sturdy horse lived with his wife and three children and his old mother.  He hired 1 cho for 28 koku of rice and his crop was 40 koku.  He spent 30 yen on manure and 4 yen went in taxes.

A middle-grade farmer owned a house and a little more than 1 cho and rented 3 cho of paddy and a patch for vegetables.  His rent was about 38 koku.  He spent 100 yen on manure and 128 yen for taxes, temple dues and regulation of the paddy.  He employed at 2-1/2 koku a man who lived with the family, also temporary labour for 48 days.  His crop might be 100 koku or more.  He had no debt.

A third man was above the middle grade of farmer.  His taxes were 240 yen and his manure bill 130 yen.  His payment for paddy-field regulation, to continue for ten years, was 60 yen.  He had three labourers and he also hired extra labour for 100 days.  He had three unmarried sons of 40, 29 and 25.  There were 260 yen of pensions in respect of the war service of one son and the death of another.

INCOME OF PEASANT PROPRIETORS (HOKKAIDO).—­The following statistics for the whole of Hokkaido are based on the experience of peasant proprietors.  The 2-1/2 cho men are rice farmers—­rice farming means farming with rice as the principal crop.  The 5-cho men are engaged in mixed farming: 

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Farmer’s|Income |  Income  | Total |  Cost of  |Cost of |Total |Balance. 
Area  | from  |from Other|       |Cultivation|Living  |Outlay|
|Farming|   Work   |       |           |        |      |
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|  yen  |    yen   |  yen  |    yen    |  yen   | yen  | yen
2-1/2   |       |          |       |           |        |      |
cho     |  366  |     43   |  409  |    107    |  276   | 382  |  27
|       |          |       |           |        |      |
5 cho   |  441  |     33   |  474  |    119    |  301   | 423  |  52
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It will be seen that mixed farming is the more profitable.