E26010

     The principle of Nature Farming is to encourage and manifest the power of the soil. Until the present, human beings have not been aware of the true nature of the soil. Or rather, they were not informed of the soil’s true essence. And because this important concept was not understood, artificial fertilizers came to be applied, and before long it came to be that farmers had to depend upon fertilizers. This process was indeed one example of superstition-forming. Thus, when I began to promote my theories, in spite of the large extent that I explained Natural Cultivation, no one would pay attention, and I was dismissed with a laugh. But gradually my efforts were rewarded, and recently the number of cultivators of Nature Agriculture increases each year, and not only in terms of harvests, surprising results are shown in all aspects. Presently, however, the number of cultivators has not exceeded the sphere of my followers. Gradually, however, it can be anticipated that in every region will appear those who are not my followers but who appreciate Natural Cultivation’s principles, and the number of cultivators will greatly increase with extraordinary vigor until in the not so distant future finally comes the day when Natural Cultivation is practiced in every region of Japan. Thus, the promotion of this cultivation technique could be termed the Movement to Destroy the Superstition of Artificial Fertilizers.
     Since no human excrement or chemical fertilizers and only compost on occasion is used, we call our way of agriculture, the Natural Cultivation Method. The materials for compost are of course old leaves and grasses, so the compost is created naturally. On the other hand, chemical fertilizers and human excrement, as well as horse and chicken manure, fish remains, tree ash, or even that which has fallen from the sky or has sprung from the earth, as long as it must be treated and transported by human beings, needless to say, are all anti-nature.
     In all of creation, nothing excluded, there is not anything that is not permeated in the blessings of Mother Nature. All is born and develops by virtue of the three basic elements of fire, water, earth. In scientific terms, these three elements are the fire of oxygen, the water of hydrogen, and the earth of nitrogen. Whatever agricultural plant there may be, none depart from these three elements. This principle should be obvious when consideration is given to the fact that God has created the earth so that the staff of life of human beings, that is, cereals and vegetables, may be produced with neither excess or deficiency. There is no reason God would cause human beings to be born and not provide the sustenance to support their lives. A nation that cannot produce enough food to support its population means that somewhere the natural laws that God created are not being followed. As long as this point is not perceived, it is inconceivable that issues such as the food problem be can resolved.
     As described above, since human beings who have been and are ignoring the laws of Mother Nature have come down to the present specifically utilizing artificial fertilizers, it should be said that it is only reasonable that humanity would suffer from food deficiencies. It should be said that such is retribution for being blind to the order of nature. And, because the field of learning known as materialistic science accelerated this world view, we have come down to the present age with its food shortages. In this sense, today’s farming methods do not represent progress, rather it would be fair to say that it is a fact that present techniques are a step backward. Since the agriculture method that respects nature is true, even if it may seem there will be deficiencies, calculating that one person’s yearly consumption of rice at five bushels, as the population of Japan is 83 million persons [1950], production of 83 million bushels of rice should certainly be possible. Whatever may seem to be out of order, there is no departing from this principle.
     Respect for nature is the basis for the Nature Farming that I advocate. As Nature Farming is put into practice, the problem of food deficiency that is now exhausting and ruining the Japanese people will gradually be solved. God has observed this mistake and cannot turn away, so with great love and compassion has bid me inform all the world of the principle of Nature Farming. The world should come to its senses and adopt Nature Farming as soon as possible, so that all the farmers may be saved.
     As described above, when the three elements of fire, water, earth give birth to and develop agricultural plants, it is certain that given good sunlight, a plentiful water supply, and cultivation in pure soil, tremendous results not yet witnessed may be attained. Sometime in the past, human beings made a terrible mistake which was the use of artificial fertilizer. The essence of the soil was completely unknown.
     Indeed, when artificial fertilizers are applied, there are effects temporarily, but reverse effects will occur with continual use for a long period. What happens is that the innate function of plants to absorb nutrients from the soil declines and the essence of the soil degenerates to the point that the soil and plants require the artificial fertilizer. This situation is easily understood when compared to a human being with a drug addiction. When individuals first use narcotics, they feel euphoric and the mind seems clear, and since they want the good feelings to continue, more is gradually needed, and finally they are unable to stop usage. At this stage, if they quit narcotics, they become listless and suffer acute pain, and cannot do anything. In the end, the pain cannot be withstood, and still knowing it is not good for them, usage is continued. They become unable to quit narcotics and do anything, including robbery, to buy more drugs. As actual examples of these cases continue to appear in the press, the terrifying nature of narcotics should be obvious. When this principle is applied to agriculture, the situation should again be obvious. All the soil of Japan is addicted to narcotics. Nay, rather it would be fair to state that the land of Japan is suffering from a serious case of fertilizer poisoning. But because farmers have been blind believers in artificial fertilizers for so long, they are not apt to awaken to this fundamental problem. Once in a while people happen to hear about Nature Farming, about quitting use of artificial fertilizers and because the results of the first couple of months are unsatisfactory, they immediately conclude that the way they have always cultivated their fields using fertilizers is the only satisfactory way, and so they quit Nature Farming, a frequent pattern.
     Since the basis of Nature Farming is faith, however, it is put into practice without any doubts. That is because the true value of Nature Farming is understood. Let me describe an average course of events. To begin, when rice saplings are transferred to the main rice paddy, for a little while the color of the leaves is poor, the stems are thin, and the plants look worse than those of neighboring paddies. The cultivators of these paddies see the inferior condition of Nature Farming paddies and ridicule them. Those who are trying to put Nature Farming into practice feel apprehension and wonder if the paddy is going to be all right. They pray to God but inside are not confident. After two or three months, however, the plants start to look better, and when it comes time for the flowers to blossom, the plants look so good that the Nature Farming cultivator is relieved, and right before harvest time, their growth appears as other plants or even better, so the cultivator breathes a deep sigh of relief. And, at harvest time, it would be fair to say that the unexpected high volume, the high quality, the luster of the grains, the stickiness after cooking, and the delicious taste are all of first or second grade quality. There is hardly any that is third grade or below. Furthermore, the weight of the rice is from five to ten percent heavier than rice produced with artificial fertilizers. Particularly noteworthy is the richness of the rice which is such that when cooking, volume is not decreased but increases by about twenty or thirty percent. It is quite filling and consumption can be decreased by around thirty percent, so from the economic point of view, it is quite advantageous. Therefore, if everyone in Japan could eat Natural Cultivation rice, there would result a thirty percent increase. In terms of production output, the need for imported rice would disappear which would be wonderful for the national economy.
     To explain the process of what I have just described would be as follows. The reason the paddy looks so poorly for the first two or three months or so is due to the fact that agricultural toxin remains in the seeds and also in the soil of the paddy. As time passes, the toxin will gradually become weaker and the original function of the soil will be restored. Slowly, the paddy will start to look better. I do believe there is no reason why farmers should not understand this principle. That is because after irrigation or a heavy rain, even the poorest paddy will show some improvement. Such results because the over abundance of agricultural toxin in the soil has been decreased through cleansing by water. Another phenomenon that may be mentioned is when farmers introduce new soil to paddies that are doing poorly. Farmers think improvement occurs because for a while after transplanting and growth the plants have taken the nutrients from the soil and since the soil has become barren, new soil will help the paddy. This interpretation is mistaken. What actually happens is that the soil weakens and grows barren due to application of artificial fertilizer each year. This interpretation by farmers shows how much they have come under the spell of the superstition of the efficacy artificial fertilizer.
     Let me explain how the soil can come to fertilize itself naturally. When growing rice, cut up rice straw as finely as possible, and mix it well with the soil. This process is to warm the soil. Then again, in fields where dry crops are grown, grasses and dead leaves whose veins have become soft through rotting can be mixed thoroughly with the soil. This process is undertaken when the soil is hard and the root tips will not develop well, so the soil is prepared to keep it from hardening. In regard to keeping the soil soft, these days, what is often heard is that the soil should be kept soft so that the roots may have air, but there is no reason why roots should need air. If air can get to the roots, that only means that the soil has not hardened. The interpretation of such aspects is where agricultural researchers are mistaken.
     Therefore, ideally speaking, for plants with shallow roots, it is sufficient to mix the soil with compost of leaves and grasses, but for plants with deep roots, a bed of compost made from the leaves of trees can be prepared about a foot under the surface in order to warm the earth. But, as far as the distance under the surface is concerned, plants with deep roots vary, so the depth should be suited to the plant. People think that compost contains fertilizing elements, but this is not so. The purpose of compost is to keep the soil soft, to keep it from hardening, and to keep the soil warm. And, another aspect is that if the soil around the roots is dry, spreading compost will keep the soil damp, keep it from drying out. These are the three reasons for using compost.
     In the preceding, I believe I have sufficiently explained that the fundamental of Nature Farming is to activate the soil itself. Activating the soil means not introducing impure materials such as artificial fertilizers into the soil, and trying to keep the soil as clean and pure as possible. When these conditions are met, the soil has no impediments or obstacles and is able to manifest fully its natural functions. Another interesting point is that farmers talk about giving the soil a rest, but this idea is also mistaken. The more that crops are planted and harvested, the better the soil becomes just as with human beings who get healthier as they work and weaken when they are idle. On this point, farmers are not only mistaken, but their interpretation is exactly the opposite of reality. The more that the same crops continue to be planted and harvested in a field, the more nutrients the soil absorbs, so there is nothing more mistaken than to allow the soil to remain fallow. Because of this mistaken idea, continuous cropping is taken to be bad, and every year fields are changed, but doing such is not only outrageous, it is pitiful foolishness. Thus, under Natural Farming continuous cropping is possible. Allow me to give an example that I am presently undertaking. The corn I produced this year was grown in a field that has been continuously cropped for seven years. Furthermore, in spite of the fact that the soil in Gora Hakone where I grow the corn is mixed with pepples and as such is definitely considered unsuitable, this year the growth has been remarkable. The kernels align perfectly, the cobs are long, and the delicious taste is all that could be desired. The reason continuous cropping is desirable is because the soil has within itself the natural function to adapt itself to the type of vegetation that has been planted in it. Again, such can be well understood when the situation is compared to the human being. As individuals perform physical labor, their muscles and brains develop, just as the brains of an author develop as they are used. Or, expressed in opposite terms, when human beings change their occupations or move frequently, they do not succeed, so you can see how the point of view which does not favor continuous cropping is so mistaken.
     At the end of my discussion, there is one thing I would like to add. That is, when the leaves of mulberry trees which have been raised without artificial fertilizers are fed to silkworms, the silkworms do not come down with disease; the thread they produce is stronger; the thread’s luster, greater; and increased production is a certainty, so if Nature Farming products were to be used in silkworm production throughout the nation, immeasurable would probably be the benefit to the national economy.

“Shizen Saibai no Shōri—Tsuchi no Iryoku” was originally published taking up the entire front page of a special Nature Farming edition of Eikō, Issue 79, November 22, 1950. Meishu-sama would later include “Shizen Saibai no Shōri—Tsuchi no Iryoku” as a part of a more lengthy discussion in two later books on Nature Farming, Shizen Nōhō Kaisetsu (Introduction to Nature Farming), January 15, 1951, and Kakumeiteki Zōsan no Shizen Nōhō Kaisetsu (Introduction to the Nature Farming of Revolutionary Increases of Production), May 5, 1953. This version of “Tsuchi no Iryoku” that appears in Shizen Nōhō Kaisetsu does not contain the subdivisions of the newspaper version. A translation of “Shizen Saibai no Shōri—Tsuchi no Iryoku” from Kakumeiteki Zōsan no Shizen Nōhō Kaisetsu, which has the same subdivisions as the newspaper version, has appeared in translation. Citation is given below for reference.