비곡종법은 중국의 범승지서 부터 이미 확립 된 체계가 있어서 우리나라도 대부분 이를 인용하여 따르는 경향이 있었으며, 취종법은 비정상형의 종자를 선별해 버리고 우량종자를 선택하는 방식이었고, 선종법도 중국은 수선법을 따랐으나 우리나라는 풍선→절별→수선법을 창안발전시켰고, 최근에는 염수선이 첨가되었을 뿐, 모두가 완벽한 기술이었다. 종자흡습도 측정법이나 종자의 설즙 및 요분, 골즙처리법 등은 그 근간이 고대중국에서 유래된 것으로 우리나라의 농서들도 대체로 이를 인용하거나 다소의 가감을 통하여 수용하고 있었으나 이들 기술이 갖는 타당성은 합리성에 비하여 번거롭고 비현실적이며, 이는 우리나라 입지보다 중국의 한지, Alkali토양에서 오히려 수긍도가 높은 기술로 해석된다. 경지는 농사의 시작을 알리는 작업으로서 천지간에 기통하는 때를 기다려 시행한다는 고래 중국의 농업관을 거의 가감없이 선초부터 선말의 농서에까지 인용하고 있었다. 초경, 추경(혹은 춘경), 기경은 깊게하고 재경, 춘경(흑은 하경), 중경은 얕게 하며, 전자는 저수와 정지를 목적으로 하고 후자는 중경제초를 목적으로 하도록 기술분화 하고 있었다. 그러나 한전의 세역법에서 와 달리 상경하는 우리나라에서는 추경이 권장되고 있었으나 실제로 추경하지는 못하고 있었으며 이런 상황으로부터 시대를 경과하며 우리나라의 기경법은 녹비작물이용법, 엄경법, 분양법, 때에 따라서 건경법 등과 연계시켜 수행토록 종합처리법으로 발전을 이룩하였다. 뿐만 아니라 15세기까지는 새로운 산전과 연안지로의 경지확장을 위한 개간법을 지원하기 위한 농기구로서 윤목사용법이 창안되었고 17-18세기부터는 내외환으로 황무지화한 농경지를 대상으로 우선적으로 노동생산성을 제고시킴으로써 생산력까지 회복시키고자 하였으며, 이를 위하여 중국고대농법인 반종법과 소누법을 재인용 소개하여 왔으나 큰 성과는 불분명하며 드디어 선말에는 이에 대한 현실성을 평가하기에 이르렀다.

General procedures of seed preparation as conventional guide had been established in China before most of Korean literature documented them. ‘Chwijongbeob’ (method of seed select) was to select good quality of seeds and to discard the rest. In ‘Seonjongbeob’ (method of seed grading) although China employed only ‘Sooseonbeob’ (method of seed select with water), but seeds were selected in order of selection of seeds by winds, selection of seeds by sieve and selection of seed with water in Korea. As compared with the recent techniques, those methods were perfect techniques for selection of good quality seeds of rice, except for method of seed selection by salt water was developed. The method for measurement of seed moisture, and for measurement of melted snow, spoiled urine and extracted juice by boiling water with the bone of livestock were originated from ancient China. The farming books in Korea were more or less followed the above methods. However, these techniques were complicated and impractical interms of validity and rationality. Also, it is judged that these tchniques are more appropriate in dry areas and alkaline soil of China rather than in Korean conditions. The plowing is a work to begin farming, and is operated for air ventilation between atmosphere and earth. Also, this techniques was adopted in the farming books from the early to the late Chosun dynasty without changes. Fields were deep-plowed in the first, in fall (or in spring) and for cultivation, and were shallow -plowed in the second, in spring (or in summer) and in intertillage. The former was for water reserve and land preparation, and the later was for weed control with intertillage. However, plowing in fall which was different from fallowing in dry areas, was recommended in Korea (Jikseol). but was not practiced in Sejongsilrok. This was changed with time, and plowing for cultivation in Korea was interrelated with use of green manure crops, method of plowing of upseting plough, method of manure practice and sometimes dry plowing. In addition, until the 15th century method of using a kind of plowing-tool made of log as farm tools was created to support reclamation for enlargement of farm land in mountaineous and coastal areas. For desolate farm lands by many internal and external disturbances, one tried to recover yield ability by increasing labor productivity from the 17th or 18th century. To do this, ‘Banjongbeob’ (culture method by upset plowing weed control) and ‘Hwanubeob’(culture method by firing weed control) which were cultural methods of ancient China were readapoted but the results were not clearly informed. Also, the reality of those was reexamined in the end of the Chosun dynasty.

• 이숭겸(신구학원 농과대학)
• 구자옥(전남대학교 농과대학)
• 이은웅(서울대학교 농과대학)
• 이홍석(서울대학교 농과대학)