“From the beginning of summer to Xiaoman, it’s never too late to plant anything.”
In Yanzhou, on the outskirts of Wuyuan County, Wu Huaiyu was organizing his farmers to plant seeds. At the beginning of summer in mid-March, Fan Wuniang and Fan Chuying, together with their eleventh mothers Fan Nizi and Gao Yanzhi, followed the order of the head of the family Fan Xuanfu.
, also came to Yanzhou beyond the Great Wall.
They also brought many stewards and servants, and even hired some poor people from Guanzhong to work in the fields.
Thousands of acres of land have been built into a village, which is now used to grow the corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc. they brought.
"Does this land belong to our family? It's so big."
"This is just a newly built village. It is the ten hectares of land rewarded by the saint. According to Xuanfu's letter, I subscribed for another hundred hectares. Our family now has eleven villages in Yanzhou, and there are also ten pastures.
.”
"Is it auspicious to plant corn?" asked the monk maid Fan Wuniang.
"We don't have so many seeds this year, so plant some first."
The land here in Yanzhou is short of water and drought, and the yield is low. There are few seeds now, so the few seeds are mainly planted in the good fields in Guanzhong, especially the irrigated fields in Sanyuan. Here they are only planted on a trial basis.
a minority of.
Among the people brought by the Fan sisters, there was also Bashi, a servant who had grown corn with him in Chang'an, and was now appointed by Huaiyu as the head of this farm.
"It just happened to rain. This is God's blessing. It happens to be sowing in a rush, so the seeds are sparse. The land here is dry and there is little rain. It's useless to plant densely. We need to plant thinly."
Normally, if there is water and fertilizer, one acre of corn requires at least four to five kilograms of seeds. Generally, four thousand corn plants need to be planted per acre, with a row spacing of one meter and a nest distance of more than 30 centimeters.
However, even the irrigated land beside Sanyuan Bai Canal did not dare to plant in this way because of the lack of sufficient fertilizer. In addition, in modern times, one acre is more than 600 square meters, while in the Tang Dynasty, one acre was only more than 500 square meters, which is not a small difference.
Tell Huaiyu that the corn seed that has been selected weighs about twelve tons per thousand grains.
"It's enough to plant a thousand corn plants per acre, but it's useless to plant more. Then only one cob will be left for each corn plant."
Although Huaiyu was not an expert in growing corn, he was familiar with it. He had helped grow it at home before going to Zhongnan Mountain, and he had been planting it for five years after going to the mountain. After coming to Datang, he had grown two crops.
This kind of large field is still planted on dry land, especially since this is a semi-arid area. You can't think about harvesting more. It's good to have a harvest.
Planting a thousand plants in one acre requires twelve taels of seeds.
If one thousand sticks can be harvested, and one stick can yield about five taels of dried grains (Tang liang, about 160 grams), then it would have to be more than three hundred kilograms. This yield is too high. You must know that Cao Xueqin’s relative Suzhou Weaving Li Xu is in
In the trial planting in Suzhou, the fertile fields in the south of the Yangtze River were still experimental fields, and the yield was only about 400 kilograms per mu.
During the Republic of China, the corn yield of the Kongfu family in Shandong was only more than 130 kilograms per mu.
Huaiyu estimated that given the conditions here, if he planted a thousand plants, it would be good to have more than half of them left by then. The sticks might be much smaller, but as long as the yield could reach seventy or eighty kilograms, that would be great.
If it's a hundred pounds, it would be an unexpected surprise.
After all, there is no irrigation here, and in the past, only 70 to 80 kilograms of buckwheat could be grown per acre.
The kind that can divert water for irrigation can only cost about one stone.
Huaiyu asked to plant them as sparsely as possible.
"Find ways to get more manure, plant ash, etc. to increase soil fertility,"
As for water, you really can only rely on the weather to provide food. If the weather is bad, there is nothing you can do if you die of drought. But under normal circumstances, you only plant for one season. Unless you are particularly unlucky, you can usually get a harvest.
It depends on whether the rain is good or not, if not, the harvest will not be high.
The yield of the corn that the Wu family had grown in Chang'an was quite good, reaching the level of four stones per mu, but the yield was only achieved in small fields with sufficient water and fertilizer management and careful management.
One stick can produce five taels, and two sticks can be used for seeding. One acre can be planted here.
Wu Niang and the others brought more than a thousand sticks, which can be planted on five or six hundred acres.
Huaiyu planned to plant 50 acres of corn in each of the eleven villages, and then give twenty or thirty crops to Doulu Huairang, Wei Siren, and Li De, so that they could also plant eight acres of corn.
In comparison, Huaiyu is more optimistic about growing potatoes here. After all, it is said that the best growing environment for potatoes in later generations in China is in Zhangjiakou and Daliang Mountain. Those two places have become the breeding bases for Chinese potato varieties. Potatoes seem to grow better in cold climates.
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The Fan sisters, whose hometown is in Anzhou, Shannan, felt that everything was new when they came to the Great Wall. After all, Anlu is considered a water town, and even big floods from the Yangtze and Han rivers often occur.
Who would have thought that there would be such a water-scarce and dirt-rich place?
The paddy fields in Jianghan Plain are very different from the dry land in the north of Saibei.
In Jianghan, old oxen and even buffaloes were used to plow the land, but here, horses and mules were actually used to plow the land.
Several women also came to the fields, put on clothes that they thought were simple, wrapped their heads in floral cloth, and carried baskets to sow corn.
Huaiyu didn't object.
These days, even the emperor would lead a hundred officials to hold a plowing ceremony every spring, asking the prime minister to lead the horse and the emperor to help the plow, and plow a ridge of land himself, and then the guards would help sow the seeds to create a private field for the emperor.
The queen will also participate in the ceremony, and even hold a silkworm kissing ceremony every year, personally raising silkworms and weaving cloth with her concubines in the palace.
Of course, the aristocratic landowners among the people would also go to the fields to show their respect during spring plowing and autumn harvest.
Fan Xuanfu has a big appetite and feels that the land here is cheap, and Huaiyu is the governor, so he can get closer to the water, get the moon first, and choose the good land, so he wrote that he is very excited to buy more.
It's like picking up a piece of land for a hundred dollars for nothing. I'm afraid of missing the opportunity.
While writing the letter, he also sent someone to load the money in a carriage, and also asked his servants to escort the first batch of barbarian slaves who Cheng Yaojin sent to Chang'an.
Building a farm is not that simple.
Fortunately, this land is not wasteland. Nadu was originally well-developed land, but it lacked water. In addition, there were village houses on the edge of the land. Although they were destroyed by Liang Shidu's soldiers, they could barely live in it after repairing them.
Even water wells are ready-made and can be used after cleaning.
What he needs is people.
There are also farm tools, cattle and seeds.
The most popular commodities sold in Baicheng Border Market are agricultural tools, cattle and seeds, various rakes, hoes, shovels, baskets and other agricultural tools needed for farming. They are all extremely popular. Caravans sell them from all over the pass day and night.
Come on, it will be sold out as soon as it arrives.
Cattle are also popular for farming. If you don't have enough cattle, you can buy horses and mules.
Although there is no shortage of oxen and horses here, the plowing oxen need to be taught how to plow. They cannot be pulled by oxen on the grassland and can plow the land. Not even ten days and a half of training can be of use.
Although Zhuangzi was inside the Great Wall, the wind was still very strong, and the sand hit his face until it hurt, making him look disgraced.
"Everyone, please work harder. We slaughtered a sheep at home and drank sheep soup after work."
Wu Huaiyu stood in the field and also acted as a technical guide, teaching everyone how to plant corn and potatoes. There were both Wu family members and slaves from Chang'an in the field, as well as workers hired from Guanli. They were paid contractors.
, hired workers, mostly poor people whose families have no land, are relatively young, so they come out to make a living.
These people are also the main force of Mai Ke during the busy harvest time every year. They chase the waves of wheat everywhere. Now they can find long-term jobs. The conditions of the Wu family are good, so they come all the way.
In addition to these people, there are many slaves in the fields.
There were some barbarians who had just been sent to Chang'an from Shuzhong and then brought to Shuofang. They were barbarian warriors or tribal people who had rebelled before. They were defeated by Cheng Yaojin and became prisoners. Of course, many of them did not actually go there.
It's a battlefield, but Lao Cheng doesn't care about that.
If a barbarian rebels in one area, then the barbarians in the entire area are guilty. The army will not break down who of you rebelled and who did not rebel. They will all be wiped out and no one will become a slave.
In addition to the Shu barbarians who traveled this way, there were also mountain barbarians, Qiang barbarians, and even Turks bought in Lingzhou. These were bought at the slave market, and were also given by Li Daozong and others.
Here in Yanzhou, there are now people selling slaves, both Han merchants and tribal tribesmen. They trade all kinds of slaves. They capture, plunder and sell each other. It is a business without capital. The slaves never have to worry about selling, and the price is good.
These slaves from various places have now become serfs on the farm. Many of them even work in chains and are not yet fully tamed.
The status of hired workers and slaves is very different, and their treatment is also very different.
Anyway, there are usually two meals a day in the farm and three meals during the busy farming season. The main food eaten at ordinary times is buckwheat noodles, millet and other grains. On the first and fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year, there is a meat meal, and during the busy farming season, there is additional meat. However, in fact, we eat more buckwheat and less beans.
There is no meat on the first and fifteenth day of the lunar month.
When Wu Huaiyu comes, the village head will naturally improve the food for everyone. Without Wu Huaiyu, they will not be so generous. Although the village belongs to the Wu family, they are only the village head responsible for the management, but the village head cannot think about the main family, of course not.
Good businessman.
In the words of some village leaders, it would be nice to have some porridge for these lowly slaves.
The slaves usually don't eat as well as the cattle and horses on the farm. During the spring plowing, the cattle and horses work hard. Not only do they have to eat extra food, but they also have to add night grass and night food at night.
Not only did they eat grass, but they also ate oats, black beans, and even bean cakes, with salt added. They ate much better than slaves every day.
Call Zhuangtou.
"So many people are working today, and it's a laborious job. The sheep slaughtered this morning were all stewed. Everyone eats the meat and drinks the soup."
"Alang, that salt flat white sheep is a big sheep. The live sheep weighed just over a hundred pounds before slaughter. After slaughtering, after removing the fur, head, hooves, and water, there is still fifty or sixty pounds left." Zhuangtou thought it would be OK today.
Eat the water and the sheep's head and hooves first, then eat one leg tomorrow, and one leg the day after tomorrow. You can eat it for several days.
Even one leg of meat a day weighs more than ten kilograms, which can simmer several large pots of soup.
This old sheep weighs hundreds of pounds and is worth hundreds of dollars. Now it can buy several acres of land, but it will be gone after eating it.
"Everyone is working hard. You see, there are not enough oxen and horses. There are still people pulling plows. In addition, bending down to make nests and sowing seeds is also very hard. Everyone gets up before dawn and is in the fields.
After staying here for a whole day, my tired clothes became wet with sweat and dried again, and then dried again and again.
I, the master, cannot be stingy and stew everything so that everyone can eat more meat and drink more soup. We will continue to work tomorrow.
After planting a thousand acres of land in this village, we have to go to the next village to continue farming. There are eleven villages and one hundred and ten hectares of land. This will take a few months. If people don't eat better, how can they eat well?
"
The village head, Lao Qian, felt very distressed and said, "How many acres of land is a big white sheep worth? It's too luxurious to eat it in one meal."
"Let's take better care of ourselves later on,"
Huaiyu told Lao Qian, "We are busy with heavy farm work, so we can't eat thin food. We need steamed cakes and chopped buckwheat noodles, and we have to be full."
There is currently a shortage of cattle, horses and manpower. Now the eleven villages in Yanzhou of the Wu family can only be worked together by men and horses, one village at a time.
"Old Qian, remember to buy another sheep to slaughter tomorrow. Also, remember to go to the border market of Baicheng in the next few days to pick up some cattle, horses and slaves. With just these people, even if you get up early every day, you can't take advantage of this.
If a thousand acres of land are sown, everyone will die from exhaustion, and more people will have to be added."
Lao Qian always felt sorry for money, "Now that Yanzhou has sold so much land at once, they are all cultivating it. There is a shortage of cattle, horses and slaves, and the prices have risen a lot. Now a Tibetan slave has increased by one thousand yuan, and the cattle and horses can't rise."
few,
If you buy these slaves of cattle and horses, it will cost a lot more to chew the grain."
"Old money, that's not how accounts are calculated. How can we get output without input?"
Lao Qian said, "If A Lang is free tomorrow, please ask A Lang to take me to the border market to choose. It costs so much. I don't dare to make the decision easily. My hands are shaking after spending too much money."
Although Lao Qian was already in charge of foreign affairs when he was in Chang'an, since he came here, he spent money like water. Looking at the large amounts of money spent one after another, Lao Qian always felt flustered and short of breath, spending too much money.
Big.
One hundred hectares of land cost one thousand guan. Then we bought cattle and horses, farm tools, seeds, food expenses for so many horses, and even repaired houses and dug wells. Every day it was a huge expense, and
Endless.
Lao Qian always felt uneasy about such a large expense. After all, Yanzhou was a frontier, with Liangshidu in the east and Yusheshe in the north. What if an attack came?
Moreover, this place is so dry. If it doesn’t rain and the crops dry up in the fields, wouldn’t all such a large investment be in vain?
He couldn't imagine how much blood he would lose if there was no success.
But Duke Shouyang obviously had different thoughts from his, and even Mrs. Fan, who was raising a baby in Chang'an, had different ideas.
Buying land, building villages and houses, keeping slaves and hiring workers, buying farm tools, buying cattle, horses, seeds, grain and vegetables are indeed huge investments, and they are still being invested.
Fan Xuanfu also took out his dowry, and Wu Huaiyu also invested in the extra money he earned recently.
Different people are in different positions and see different things.
Although there are risks in buying property here, the risks are directly proportional to the returns.
Just like the land Wu Huaiyu bought in Nanfang of Chang'an City, the expensive one cost two gold per acre, the cheap one cost one gold, and the land on the outskirts of Chang'an City cost several thousand gold per acre.
But here, it’s only a hundred dollars an acre, how many times the difference?
The land in the south of Chang'an city can be used to grow flowers, medicines, vegetables and fruit trees, and the income is indeed high. However, even if the land here is only used to grow grains, even if the yield is not high, and there is a high possibility of failure or failure in the event of a disaster, but even if it is harvested every three years, the actual income will be
Comparatively speaking, it is not bad. Unless Yanzhou is occupied by the Turks and cannot be taken back, then it will be a real loss.
But this can't happen.
Therefore, this land is not a loss after all. Such a large amount of land can still be encountered occasionally in such a place even in the early days of the founding of the country.
Rich men such as Lu Huairang and Wei Siren, Li Dejiang, Du Wen and Wen Fu unceremoniously seized the opportunity to buy real estate. How could Wu Huaiyu miss it?
Fan Wuniang came over and said, "Alang, if you want to buy slaves, it's best to buy some Ding slaves as well, and then you can marry them to the Ding slaves in Zhuangzi."
She pointed to the young slaves working in the fields, "Those who are diligent and loyal will be given a maidservant. This is also an extra reward and will make them more obedient."
"Tomorrow you come with me to the border market to select some maids."
