Agriculture Encyclopedia

The title of this agricultural book. The author is Miyazaki Yasusada. It was published in 1697 (Genroku 10) by Shodo Ryushiken in Kyoto. Many agricultural books had been written before this book, but they were all distributed as copies. This book was the first to be widely circulated in print, and was published in 1894 (Meiji 27). This book is the culmination of Miyazaki Yasusada's 40 years of study. Its distinctive features are the observations and accumulation of knowledge and methods from the author's village life, his application of knowledge and methods from Chinese agricultural books to Japan, and his research and absorption of agricultural techniques from travels around the country, including the Kinai region. Kaibara Ekiken, who was from the same hometown, made a major contribution to the Chinese agricultural books, and Ekiken's brother Rakuken wrote and supplemented some parts. The contents are as follows: Volume 1 General Theory of Agriculture, Volume 2 Types of Five Grains, Volumes 3 and 4 Types of Vegetables, Volume 5 Types of Mountain Vegetables, Volume 6 Types of Three Herbs (Industrial Crops such as Cotton, Indigo, and Tobacco), Volume 7 Types of Four Trees (Tea, Lacquer, Paper Mulberry, and Mulberry), Volume 8 Types of Fruit Trees, Volume 9 Types of Various Trees, Volume 10 Methods of Cultivating Livestock (Livestock, Poultry, and Fish Farming) and Types of Medicinal Herbs, and Volume 11 Appendix (written by Rakuken, describing what farmers should know). This book was welcomed at the time as a guide to agricultural techniques in general, and especially to commercial crop cultivation techniques.

[Yoichi Fukushima]

"Complete Collection of Agricultural Books, Volumes 1-11" (Complete Collection of Japanese Agricultural Books, Volumes 11 and 12, 1978, Rural Culture Association)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

農書名。著者は宮崎安貞(やすさだ)。1697年（元禄10）京都の書堂柳枝軒から刊行。本書以前にも多くの農書がつくられたが、それらはすべて写本として流通したのに対し、本書は初めて版本として広く世間に流布し、1894年（明治27）に至っても出版された。本書は宮崎安貞の40年にわたる研鑽(けんさん)の結晶である。その特色は、著者の村居体験のなかでの観察と蓄積、中国農書への知識・方法とそのわが国への適用、畿内(きない)各地をはじめ諸国旅行による農業技術の調査・吸収である。中国農書については同郷の貝原益軒(かいばらえきけん)の寄与が大きく、また益軒の兄楽軒が一部を書き、また補っている。その内容構成は、第1巻農事総論、第2巻五穀之類、第3・第4巻菜之類、第5巻山野菜之類、第6巻三草之類（ワタ、藍(あい)、タバコなど工芸作物）、第7巻四木之類（茶、漆、楮(こうぞ)、桑）、第8巻果木之類、第9巻諸木之類、第10巻生類(しょうるい)養法（家畜、家禽(かきん)、養魚）・薬種類、第11巻附録（楽軒著、農民の心得を述べたもの）。本書は、一般農業技術、とくに商品作物栽培技術の指導書として当時の時世に迎えられたものである。

［福島要一］

『『農業全書　巻1～11』（『日本農書全集11・12』1978・農山漁村文化協会）』

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