농사직설 Introduction
| Nongsa jikseol | |
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| Table of Contents | |
This textbook on agricultural methods was written by civil servants, including Jeong Cho and Byun Hyo-mun, at the request of King Sejong (1418-1450). The book was first published in 1429, and was distributed to the governors of each province and other high-ranking officials throughout the country. It went through several editions until 1686, and the 1492 edition was passed on to Japan. It was widely quoted in other books on agriculture, including Sallim gyeongje (Farm Management) and Imwon gyeongje-ji (Sixteen Treatises on the Ways of Developing the Nation, Written in Retirement).
Although Nongsa jikseol was confined mainly to a discussion of the major grains and used simple descriptions, it was the first book to deal with agricultural skills specific to the natural features of Korea. As such, it became a guidebook for the promotion of Korean agriculture, and led to the publication of various books on the subject.
As is mentioned in its preface, publication of the book was necessary because the Chinese works on agriculture then in print were not very helpful owing to the differing natural environments of the two countries. The authors asked farmers across the country about farming methods, collected the results from the different regions, and compiled them into a book. Thus, Nongsa jikseol paved the way toward moving away from the use of Chinese agricultural skills unsuited to the Korean landscape.
The book is divided into ten chapters concerning how to: select and store seeds; plow the soil; sow and cultivate hemp; cultivate rice plants; cultivate Indian millet; cultivate barnyard millet; cultivate beans, red-beans, and small green peas; cultivate barley and wheat; cultivate sesame; and cultivate buckwheat.
Hence, the book concentrates on the cultivation of the major grains. It introduces four different methods for growing rice depending on environmental conditions such as the weather, irrigation, and geographical features, and goes on to describe what kinds of agricultural tools and fertilizer should be used. Furthermore, it recommends appropriate methods for tilling the soil according to the seasons.
As this work went through several revisions, it was enlarged with new chapters on matters such as how to deal with rice blight and the cultivation of cotton.
- "Nongsa jikseol", Encyclopedia of Korean Culture, Academy of Korean Studies.
Foreword
The historical roots of economic innovation in Korea can be found in the fifteenth century, during the reign of King Sejong (r. 1418-1450) as it was a time period within world history with unprecedented advances in multiple areas. The technical publications compiled during his reign are also inextricably linked with the invention of the Korean alphabet as a national language system. In particular, Nongsa chiksŏl(農事直說) which can be translated into Concise Farming Theory (CFT) (also known as Straight Talk on Farming) can be regarded as the exemplar of reports on the new technological development industries led by the state. This Korean Classics Translation Project in The Academy of Korean Studies can be taken as evidence that the fifteenth century was a historical paragon that heralded the path to the period of creativity aspired to by Korea in the 21st century. An interesting phenomenon in economic history is why the extent of multi-cropping in Western Europe appears to be extremely small, although it might seem the most advanced of agricultural techniques. In contrast, multi-cropping in the 15th century was a royal priority as the country was plagued by severe droughts in the southern half of its peninsula. Although no comprehensive report on multi-cropping from that period exists, the practice has existed since in the rural areas of Hwanghae (黃海) province nearby Kaesǒng (開城), the capital of Koryǒ. Studies that do exist on the technique are generally written in Korean, as few persons can be found fluent in classical Chinese, idu (吏讀), and English to publish studies in English. The original source texts are vast and complex, and little solid translation for the Korean Classics exists, despite the fact that many are preserved in the AKS Jangseogak(藏書閣) Archives and are not difficult to find. Few agricultural scientists in Korea have given the matter much scientific thought. Yet the importance of the subject, and the difficulties involved in an official English translation, provided an irresistible charm. The Academy of Korean Studies project for Global Communication of Korean Classics intends to provide a review of the historical development and current status of multi-cropping in Korea.
Explanatory Note
This translation is based on the edition was compiled in 1655 by Sin Sok (申洬) as part of Nongga chipsŏng (農家集成) which contents has been compared with the original edition which was published in 1429, but the original copy compiled by order of King Sejong in 1429 has not been found. The oldest edition of CFTprior to the Imjin War is thought to be in Japan. The first edition published by the Chosǒn government, and nationally dispersed to provincial officers. The extant copies dating from before and after the Imjin War differ vastly. The edition prior to the Imjin War was granted to local officials from the central government in 1581, and the edition as part of Nongga chipsŏng, which contained Nongsa chiksŏl(農事直說), Kumyang chapnok (衿陽雜錄), and Sasi ch’anyoch’o (四時纂要抄). The edition preserved in the Changsŏgak Archives of the Academy of Korean Studies and the National Library of Korea.
The Romanization of Korean names follows the McCune-Reischauer system.
Names of places or suffixes are translated wherever possible in the text.
