Thecountryisadeadlevel，andmainlyanartificialmudflatorswamp，inwhosefertileoozevariousaquaticbirdswerewading，andinwhichhundredsofmenandwomenwerewadingtoo，abovetheirkneesinslush；forthisplainofYedoismainlyagreatrice-
field，andthisisthebusyseasonofrice-planting；forhere，inthesenseinwhichweunderstandit，theydonot“casttheirbreaduponthewaters。“ThereareeightornineleadingvarietiesofricegrowninJapan，allofwhich，exceptanuplandspecies，requiremud，water，andmuchpuddlingandnastywork。RiceisthestaplefoodandthewealthofJapan。Itsrevenueswereestimatedinrice。Riceisgrownalmostwhereverirrigationispossible。
Therice-fieldsareusuallyverysmallandofallshapes。A
quarterofanacreisagood-sizedfield。ThericecropplantedinJuneisnotreapedtillNovember，butinthemeantimeitneedstobe“puddled“threetimes，i。e。forallthepeopletoturnintotheslush，andgruboutalltheweedsandtangledaquaticplants，whichweavethemselvesfromtufttotuft，andpuddleupthemudafreshroundtheroots。Itgrowsinwatertillitisripe，whenthefieldsaredriedoff。Anacreofthebestlandproducesannuallyaboutfifty-fourbushelsofrice，andoftheworstaboutthirty。
OntheplainofYedo，besidesthenearlycontinuousvillagesalongthecausewayedroad，thereareislands，astheymaybecalled，ofvillagessurroundedbytrees，andhundredsofpleasantoasesonwhichwheatreadyforthesickle，onions，millet，beans，andpeas，wereflourishing。Therewerelotuspondstoo，inwhichthegloriouslily，Nelumbonucifera，isbeinggrownforthesacrilegiouspurposeofbeingeaten！Itssplendidclassicalleavesarealreadyafootabovethewater。