A Sword in the Right Hand, Edification in the Left (1)

The headquarters of the Manchuria development expedition, led by Jo Mal-saeng and me, arrived safely in Yanbian near the Gayahe River.

Since I had already visited this place once, it was not particularly surprising to me.

But Jo Mal-saeng, who had come to Manchuria for the first time, could not hide his astonishment as he looked around.

“This vast plain truly stretches on without end. I have never seen a place like this in my entire life.”

“Please look over there. Not only does a fairly large river called the Gayahe flow through that area, but the soil is so soft... I do not think it will be terribly difficult to build irrigation channels and embankments and cultivate fields.”

“Indeed, that should be the case. Except during the period when the ground freezes in winter, we can use the strength of oxen and people to dig irrigation channels and cultivate the land.”

Barren soil contains little moisture, so even if one digs with all one's strength, it is not easily worked.

Fertile soil, however, contains sufficient moisture and plenty of organic matter, making it relatively easy to dig.

And when it comes to fertility alone, Manchurian soil ranks among the best in the world. What more needs to be said?

“The river carries an abundant volume of water, so we plan to use it as our starting point, lay irrigation channels in several directions, and cultivate fields. We also intend to install gates that can be opened and closed at various points along the channels.”...