北海道の踏鋤と踏鋤農法

概要

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There was a particular variety of spade in south Hokkaido used for cultivation from early times. While generally called suki, the common name for Japanese spade, it was less frequently called fumi-suki or fumi-kuwa. The spade was made of an iron share known as suki-saki and sometimes locally as suki-gane and saki-gane, the edge called ha or hasaki, and a wooden helve, called suhi-gara. The upper part of the share formed a U-shape, the inner edge of which had a bezel called sashikomi, dai-iri or mizo. The butt of the wooden heel (dai) had names for either end, dai-saki for the fore part and ashikake, ashibumi or fumi for the butt part. The handle (e, te or tsuno) has a name for the end only (esaki or sute) . The greater part of the share was made of wrought iron, but the edge was of steel. The wood of the helve was Magnolia hypoleuca, oak, paulownia, willow, cherry, maple, mulberry and the like. Magnolia hypoleuca was the best, but since it was not so plentiful in Hokkaido, oak was used more frequently. The helve was cut from a crook in the trunk and bough of a tree. The tree had to be suitably selected for the trunk to be about 30 cm in diameter and the bough a minimum of 12 cm. The iron share was made by an experienced village smith in fixed sizes. Each user made his own wooden helve, the husband making them for his wife if necessary. He cut a tree with a broad ax in the forest and used a saw, hatchet and plane to finish the helve, following a good model. The share had a straight edge, its corners at right angles, its over-all shape rectangular, with dimensions about 55 by 15 cm. Inside the separated upper part is a bezel for the insertion of the fore part of the butt. The bezel took a U-shape about 30 cm long and 12 cm wide. The butt of the helve was boat-shaped, ranging from 50 to 60 cm long and about 15 cm wide, one end about 30 cm in length and the other about 10 cm in length, the butt end about 5 cm thick. The curved handle was between 130 and 150 cm in length, and the end was 60 to 80 cm in height. Spades were used mainly by women, but boys were often ordered by their mothers to cultivate the fields with them. Men used a larger one than women. The spade was also used for the initial clearing of tracts of natural growth. Spades used for such purposes were large and stronger than the general spades. Spades were used for cultivation of both vegetable gardens near the house and cornfielde farther away. Sandy, clayey, hillside and flat land were all cultivated by this spade ; in fact, it was used for all but paddy fields. The spade turned up the earth to the right and left alternately, as the user moved back-wards. Ridges were cultivated one by one, boustrephedon style, except on slopes, where plowing took place only backwards. When the soil was to be turned over only to the right, the end of the handle was held by the right hand and the middle of the handle was held by the left hand and the left foot placed on the butt end. But if soil was to be turned the other way, the positions of the hands and feet were reversed. Deep cultivation with this spade was possible in relatively soft and sandy soil, but was progressively more difficult in clayey and stony soil. Spading could be done through the strength of the foot, but turning over the soil depended on the hands and thighs. After cultivation, the clods had to be broken up. The normal efficiency of the spade was about five or six ares of farmland in a day, but it was not difficult to cultivate ten or more ares for an experienced user. It was more efficient than the hoe used in Japan ; the work went more smoothly and required less strength.
日本文化人類学会の論文
1979-06-30

著者

林善茂
北海道大学

北海道の踏鋤と踏鋤農法

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