After the beginning of spring, cat winter officially ends and spring plowing begins.
The Marquis of Pingcheng County had long made military exploits, and the emperor rewarded him with fifty hectares of land near Chang'an.
Although it is fifty hectares, at least half of it is good irrigated land, which may be a lot for future generations.
But for this era and Feng Duhu's identity, this is a relatively small number.
However, there is no way around this.
When the late emperor took over the Shu territory, most of the land near Jincheng was owned by powerful people from aristocratic families.
Therefore, the imperial court did not have much land to give to meritorious officials, so it had to reward more gold, silver, grain, cloth and silk.
After the prime minister died, only fifteen hectares of land were left.
At the same time, he also intentionally or unintentionally left a tradition for future generations:
The emperor rewards his ministers with more gold, silver, grain, cloth, and less land.
Although last year during the great reward ceremony in Chang'an, the emperor increased the land property of the prime minister's house to one hundred hectares.
But this number can still only be considered normal.
He Yan, a favored minister of Wei State, had amassed more than two hundred hectares of land for himself in less than three years.
As a prime minister who had never come after the Han Dynasty - at least in the eyes of the emperor - he only received a normal amount of land as a reward.
As a latecomer, Feng Duhu naturally did not dare to surpass the Prime Minister.
So I had to cut it in half and get fifty hectares.
From the fifty hectares of land, Feng Duhu specially selected thirty acres of land next to Baqiao and planned to let people grow cotton.
The beginning of spring is not the time to plant cotton, so you have to wait for more than a month.
But now the fields can be sorted and prepared.
"Brother, why don't you plant more?"
Zhao Zhongjianjun, who was not on duty today and followed Feng Duhu to the Ba Bridge for an outing, looked at the farmers who were tidying up their fields and couldn't help but ask curiously.
As for cotton, it is indeed a good thing.
Four or five years ago, when my brother was in charge of Liangzhou, Sister Hua brought some seeds back from the south.
My brother asked people to try planting in Liangzhou. In recent years, within the Xinghan Association, several brothers have had some extra quilts at their homes, which are very comfortable to cover in winter.
There is still some cotton yarn in the army. I heard it is also made of cotton and is used to stop bleeding and wrap injured soldiers. The effect is also very good.
In Zhao Guang's view, good things like this should be promoted as early as possible.
But my brother didn't know what he thought, and he never mentioned this matter officially.
Even in Liangzhou, it is only grown on the farm of Xinghanhui and cannot be seen anywhere else.
Originally, Zhao Guang thought that his brother was looking for money for his brothers in the guild, but now it seems that it is not the same thing at all.
Thirty acres?
Enough to do?
Zhao Guang said with some regret:
"Brother, this is a huge source of wealth. Why was it given to the wealthy families in Bingzhou and Hedong? Can't it be left to our own brothers?"
"You know nothing!"
Even if Zhao Guang was promoted to General Zhengnan, he might be able to show off his authority in front of others, but in front of Feng Duhu, he was still a little brother who scolded him whenever he asked.
"Now the main focus of the meeting is on mining coal and iron in Yanmen and Jiuyuan, how can we take care of this?"
Isn’t it easier to make money from selling coal and iron than growing cotton?
Be it Jiuyuan or Yanmen Frontier Fortress, the winter there is very cold. Coupled with the climate blessing of Xiaoglacier, the local garrison consumes an unknown amount of coal in winter.
After all, you can't let the garrison imitate the barbarians and pick up dried dung and burn it to keep warm all year round, right?
More importantly, iron smelting requires a large amount of manpower, material and financial resources to be invested in the first stage.
I don’t know when the cotton will be planted in the east.
Who can wait?
"We can also plant it in Liangzhou, Guanzhong!"
Zhao Guang said a little unconvinced, "Although the land my brothers have in Guanzhong is not too much, if you think about it, you can plant tens of thousands of acres."
"Let alone Liangzhou..."
Before he finished speaking, he was rudely interrupted by Feng Duhu: "So I said, you know nothing!"
"If this thing can really be grown at will, why haven't I promoted it in recent years?"
Feng Duhu glanced at this guy with disdain and pointed at the thirty acres of land in front of him:
"Cotton is indeed a good thing, but it is not easy to grow it well."
"Not to mention Guanzhong, I won't let anyone plant it in Liangzhou, or at least in Longyou."
"Even in the Kanto region in the future, no one can just plant what they want. If they want to plant, they have to be like opening a workshop. They need to pay for the qualifications in advance."
When Zhao Guang heard this, he was startled:
"Brother, why is this? Since it is a good thing and can replace both hemp and catkins, why not let it be used in more varieties?"
“Because it’s difficult to grow, it costs water, fertilizer, and people, so most people can’t afford it.”
The quality of cotton at this time is not very good, the yield is not high, and it does not have very good insect control capabilities.
This is the conclusion Feng Duhu came to after comparing the results with later generations after trial planting at Xinghanhui Farm in Liangzhou.
Especially this thing, it will also occupy farmland.
If the Han Dynasty's current grain output had not increased by leaps and bounds, especially after taking Guanzhong and sitting on two kingdoms of abundance, there would have been worries about low grain prices and hurting farmers.
I'm afraid Feng Duhu will have to suppress the cotton issue for a few more years, maybe even ten or dozens of years.
But no matter what, Shu, Guanzhong, and Longyou, the three main grain-producing areas of the Han Dynasty, will never be allowed to grow a large amount of cotton.
At worst, let Liangzhou do it.
However, since the local wealthy families in Liangzhou had the wool textile industry, they naturally lacked the motivation to develop the cotton textile industry.
Of course, if someone from Guanzhong or even Guandong wanted to go to Liangzhou to develop the cotton textile industry, the imperial court would welcome it and regard it as enriching the frontier.
Because the more stable Liangzhou is, the more stable Longyou is, the barrier to the west of Guanzhong.
As for some people in Guandong who want to grow cotton... Feng Duhu wants them to die!
Let them taste some sweetness first, and then we will see how he kills these powerful Guandong families.
Just like weaving wool with wool, it seems that the barbarians can also benefit from it, but Feng Duhu's real purpose is not for the sake of the barbarians.
Although he agreed to teach the aristocratic families in Bingzhou and Hedong how to grow cotton, Feng Duhu did not teach them how to use cotton.
It doesn't matter if they use cotton to weave cloth.
But if you want to further add value to cotton, you have to ask Xinghanhui first.
And even if it's just weaving, can it be as efficient as the Xinghan Hui?
No matter how simple a joint workshop is, it is much better than a sporadic family workshop.
If someone wants to regret it at that time, it doesn't matter. Anyway, the money and food paid to buy the cotton cultivation qualification will not be refunded.
How about you go to Jiuyuan to open up wasteland and cultivate land?
You can be given double the land there, you can enclose the land at will, and you will be given a workshop qualification.
Besides, even if you are selling cotton, it doesn't mean that you won't be allowed to make money. Just cooperate with the court and sell cotton at the set price, and don't go up in price.
Do you really think that the exchange’s pricing power comes in vain?
All bulk materials or strategic materials will be based on the price set by the exchange in the future.
Grain, wool, brown sugar, silk, livestock, salt, iron...
Cotton will be no exception in the future.
If you want to challenge the exchange's pricing power, you must first clear out the Xinghanhui and the imperial court's treasury reserves.
From the current point of view, even if the two countries Wei and Wu use the strength of the whole country, there is no hope of succeeding in the challenge.
Not to mention the entire territory of the Han Dynasty, but at least in the core areas of Han rule, the government must have this control.
Of course, this is a long-term goal, and for this goal, the Han Dynasty will continue to strengthen the laying of official roads.
At least we should be able to spread official road and post pavilions all the way to the Western Regions like the former Han Dynasty.
This goal is very long-term and will take ten or even decades to achieve.
But Feng Duhu has this confidence.
After all, in the past, digging mountains and paving roads could only be done slowly.
Things are different now.
As long as the world is unified, although the mountains and roads will still have to be dug, the holes will be drilled.
Naturally, it was impossible for Feng Duhu to tell Zhao Guang all about these grand plans and ambitions.
He just said:
"If anyone in the association really wants to grow cotton, you can just bring it up. There is plenty of land in Liangzhou, and the association can provide cotton seeds."
Now in Liangzhou, they only complain that there are too many barbarians and too few Han people. They only complain that there are too many lands and too few people.
If anyone is willing to make a contribution, Feng Duhu welcomes it.
Zhao Guang touched his head and seemed a little embarrassed:
"The little brother is just talking casually. Since the elder brother has already planned it, it must be reasonable. The little brother can just follow the elder brother."
"Back then, my elder brother didn't have much power, but he could still lead his brothers to make a fortune. Now, my elder brother is the head of the Han Dynasty's officials. Who in the meeting dares to question my elder brother's vision?"
Those who dared to violate the rules were almost killed in the great purges of the year before last and the year before last.
Feng Duhu said "tsk".
He said this as if he were a great dictator.
I want to explain, but think about it, what explanation can I give to this guy?
With his IQ, he wouldn't be able to understand even if he said it.
It’s impossible to say, but it will become darker and darker.
The two brothers were talking when they saw a woman walking towards them in the field.
The woman came to the two men and bowed to Feng Du: "I have met the king."
Feng Duhu nodded and signaled: "Get up."
"Thank you, Lord."
"Mr. Li Xu, how is this land? Is it suitable for growing cotton?"
The woman was the third wife of the Xu family who was married to Li Mu's younger brother Li Tong.
Over the years, she has been a planting expert at Xinghan Hui.
Over the years, Xinghanhui has never had to worry about food, and Li Xu's contribution is indispensable.
Her husband, Li Tong, is a breeding expert of the Xinghan Society, and he can be said to be a husband and a wife.
Over in Liangzhou, Li Xu has been responsible for the cotton planting experiments on the farm under the name of Xinghan Hui in recent years.
At this time, Mrs. Li Xu heard Feng Duhu ask, nodded and replied:
"It's okay to go back to the king."
But she hesitated for a moment and then reminded:
"However, although the land in Guanzhong is fertile, cotton requires a lot of water and fertilizer. This land is on the edge of the Wei River. Although there is no shortage of water, it is best to apply sufficient base fertilizer before planting."
"You must apply fertilizer at least once before and after flower buds. Otherwise, if there is insufficient fertility, the cotton plants will be short and the cotton yield will be insufficient."
Feng Duhu nodded:
"It's just fertilizer for thirty acres of land. You don't have to worry. You have to take care of this matter. Plant as well as you can."
After receiving Feng Duhu's assurance, Mrs. Li Xu felt relieved: "I understand."
Feng Duhu looked at the land and raised the corner of his mouth slightly.
Why did he want the cotton demonstration field to be placed here?
Because anyone who enters or exits Qiao and Tong Pass from the west or east must pass through it.
In other words, whether you are coming to Chang'an from the east or leaving Chang'an to go to the east, you must pass through Baqiao.
Since you come from the east, you can’t miss cotton as white as snow, right?
Zhao Guang on the side was a little stunned when he heard this:
"Does this cotton still need so much fertilizer?"
Back when my brother was improving farming methods in Jincheng, one of the most important things was to apply more fertilizer.
In this case, it can be cultivated for two or three years and then left fallow for one year.
Others, on the other hand, have to cultivate fallow crops year after year.
Even so, the land my brother planted still yielded 20 to 30% more than others.
So even though Zhao Guang doesn't know much about farming, he also knows that cotton's fertilizer requirements are already ridiculously high.
Li Xu said in a serious tone:
"That's right. That's why I have always advised you that unless you can ensure that the Han Dynasty has enough food, it is best not to plant cotton on a large scale."
"Even if it is to be planted, the planting area must be restricted and cannot be allowed to be planted at will by the public."
Grabbing land is still a trivial matter, the key is grabbing fat.
If there is not enough fertilizer in the fields where crops are grown, food production will decrease.
With fertilizer, the fields can be cultivated continuously for three years.
Without fertilizer, fields can only be cultivated in rotation, with one year of planting and one year of rest.
This production reduction is not just a little bit, but a 30% to 40% reduction is the most basic.
Even with the current grain output of Han Dynasty, it is possible to reduce it by 50%.
Feng Duhu smiled and said:
"Don't worry, farming is the foundation of a country. Sufficient food ensures people's peace. How could I not understand this?"
He looked at the field again and sighed slightly:
"So, we still need to vigorously develop and promote poultry and livestock breeding. If every household in the Han Dynasty can have a cow, there will be no need to use fertilizer as carefully as now."
The feces of chickens, ducks, geese and other poultry cannot be used directly, but they can be made into cooked fertilizer through retting.
But poultry is still too small after all.
Cows are different.
When I was a child in my previous life, cattle were not only the main labor force in the family, but also the main force in accumulating family fat.
People will pick up the dirt roads in the village and the excrement dropped by cattle everywhere.
The old people in the village sometimes would even use clods of soil to surround the cow dung in a circle when they didn't have the tools at hand, to indicate that the cow dung had an owner.
Hearing Feng Duhu's words, Zhao Guang didn't feel anything yet, but Li Xu's eyes were filled with admiration:
"The prince has actually done a lot for the people of the world."
"Now the Han people have many pastures where they can rent cattle and horses for the people. And as long as you are willing to work hard, you can have a cow at home."
Over the years, the Xinghan Association has cooperated with the government, with the government as a guarantee, and the cattle and horses leased out from the cattle and horse farm under the name of the Xinghan Association.
Those who are willing to rent cattle and horses will need to pay extra grain to the Xinghan Association and the government.
But it may be three years or five years, as long as a calf and a pony is born during the period, it can be regarded as your own home.
When the calf and pony grow up, won’t the family just have a large livestock?
To put it bluntly, it means using grain to buy calves and ponies in installments.
It can be said that this policy has contributed a lot to the increase in grain production in Han Dynasty in recent years.
Feng Duhu thought more and sighed slightly:
"It would be great if we had struvite. That thing is much stronger than the domestic fertilizer we use now. A sack of struvite may be worth an oxcart of domestic fertilizer."
When Li Xu heard this, his eyes suddenly lit up:
"Is there such a strange thing in the world? May I ask you, where is this struvite produced?"
"It's far away!" Feng Duhu said casually, "If we go out to sea from Jiaozhou, there should be many islands in the southeast."
It's a pity that Jiaozhou is not in the hands of the Han Dynasty.
"Ah? Is that so? You're actually overseas?"
When Li Xu heard this, he immediately looked disappointed:
"A big man doesn't have such a rare thing?"
When Feng Duhu saw her like this, he couldn't bear it and comforted her:
"It can't be said that it doesn't exist at all. For example, in caves in deep mountains, where bats live in groups, it cannot be said that there is such a thing."
"But the number is ultimately too small, and it can't compare to the ones on the island."
Struvite is a kind of guano accumulated by birds and animals. Because there are bats living in the cave, their excrement and corpses are mixed on the ground. Over the years, some struvite will also be formed.
However, the main place of production still depends on the islands.
Why did Feng Duhu know this?
Because it’s covered in geography textbooks.
Especially the small country of Nauru, which was built on bird droppings. You don’t have to do anything. You can just dig up bird droppings and sell them for a lot of money. How happy your mother is!
Feng Duhu's major is a certain type of civil engineering major related to geography, so he naturally knows it best.
Later I heard that in that small country, all the bird droppings were dug up.
Even the Nauru Building built in Tuao was eventually sold due to poor management.
The dream of moving the whole country to Australia was shattered, and national income was not as good as before.
This news also made Feng Duhu, who had been worried about it since high school, happy for a while.
Damn, I let you get something for nothing, are you stupid?
Thinking of what happened in his previous life, Feng Duhu couldn't help but sigh.
It seems like a lifetime apart for others, but it really feels like a lifetime apart for me!
Li Xu, on the other hand, lowered his head in deep thought.