Chapter 137 Great Harvest (Please subscribe! Two-in-one!)
Among the many commodities sold by the Idar Chamber of Commerce, the sales of sea salt still occupy the largest share.
After two consecutive expansions, the annual salt production of the Cape Salt Field on the southeast coast of Idar Territory has reached an astronomical figure. Compared with the original output when boiling salt, it can be said that it has been reborn.
Salt ponds are lined up one after another, and the snow-white sea salt is piled up in the salt ponds, like ice and frost.
Due to the longer daylight hours and higher temperatures in summer, the time required to dry salt is at least one-third shorter than in winter!
The Idar Chamber of Commerce is thriving, the Idar Territory is booming, and the seeds sown a few days ago have finally come to harvest.
Although people say that autumn is the harvest season, in fact, corn, potatoes and sweet potatoes are all at the tail end of summer and are already ripe in July and August.
In the fields, the heavy corn husks can no longer cover the golden corn kernels inside.
This made the serfs in charge of farming particularly happy. After all...they were farming the fields of the Earl! Although the Earl's temper was much better than that of other nobles, it did not mean that the Earl would always be kind.
These fields where new crops are planted are of particular importance to the Earl. If anything goes wrong, he will definitely be held responsible.
The potato fields and sweet potato fields were not far apart. In fact, Bruno placed most of the fields for planting new crops along the fertile Idar River, while crops such as wheat that were originally planned to be planted here were all thrown into other fields.
Although unlike the corn that is growing well, the potatoes and sweet potatoes hidden in the soil cannot be seen before the official harvest, but just looking at the stems and leaves that are thriving on the ground makes people feel particularly happy.
Even Old Ford, who had been against planting these new crops rashly at the beginning, couldn't help but pray for these crops that had just arrived in Idar Territory. After all...
The seeds have already been planted. If we can really have a bumper harvest as the Earl said, it would indeed be a pleasant surprise.
Since today is the official harvest day for several new crops, in addition to Shabi, who is in charge of Idar's agricultural production, Bruno also called several important officials of Idar, including Old Ford, L'Obida, and Lister.
Looking at the ripe crops in the fields, Bruno felt a sudden sense of relief.
As the situation in the northern border of the empire becomes increasingly tense, food becomes more and more important. Having no money will only slow down the development of Idar County, but having no food will really starve people to death!
Therefore, Bruno attached great importance to food, which was related to the fundamental of the "national" economy and people's livelihood! If he wanted to continue to receive those refugees pouring into Idar from the northern border of the empire, he would naturally need a lot of food.
Although Bruno does not look fierce, he thinks he is handsome.
However, the serfs who had been cultivating the fields for Bruno were already trembling with fear. After all... they had never seen such a scene before.
Although someone had already greeted these serfs in advance, but... the person standing in front of him was the actual ruler of Idar Territory, Lord Bruno, Count of Idar!
If we add the important officials of Idar standing next to Bruno, these low-level serfs have met almost all the leaders of Idar in one day...
Although privately, almost every serf was surprised and delighted by Bruno's policies and measures, and regarded Bruno as the most benevolent nobleman in the entire Norman Empire, but... no matter how benevolent a nobleman is, he is still a nobleman! Facing this person who can dominate their own destiny, how can the serfs not be afraid and nervous?
Bruno ignored the shivering serfs. In front of everyone's shocked gaze, he rolled up his sleeves, then... walked into the cornfield and personally picked the first corn in Idar's territory! After tearing open the bracts wrapped around it, the round, plump, golden corn kernels were immediately revealed to everyone.
Hiss~ When the Idar officials present saw the corn in Bruno's hand, they all gasped.
Different from common crops like wheat and barley, this new crop looks particularly strong. It is so big and thick...
The plump corn kernels are like neatly arranged sentinels, densely packed next to each other...
Familiar touch, familiar appearance, holding the corn tightly in his hand, Bruno felt that the world suddenly became beautiful...
"This is corn... the new staple food of Idar..."
"Staple food..." Everyone was stunned for a moment after hearing Bruno's words.
"Don't worry about us, start harvesting corn." Bruno looked at the serfs standing cautiously by the side and said in a deep voice.
"Yes... yes!" the leading serf answered bravely.
After hearing Bruno's order, the serfs finally began to act quickly.
The serfs carefully broke the corns off the corn stalks one by one and handed them to the serfs following behind them with large baskets.
A dozen serfs worked in groups of two and harvested all the corn in an acre of land in no time.
Of course, there must be more than one acre of corn planted in Idar Territory, and what is being done now is just to weigh the actual output of one acre of land.
Looking at the pile of corn on the ground, old Ford's eyes turned green!
I had tried every possible means to stop the Earl, and I was also very suspicious of the books he had read. But now, the output of this one acre of land alone is probably much more than the wheat of two or three acres of land! (Chapter 41) Moreover... the Earl just said... this thing is actually the staple food? ! Staple food can satisfy hunger! It can fill your stomach!
Just as everyone was staring at the pile of corn and wondering, Shabi, who was responsible for calculating the weight of the corn, finally ran over in a panic.
"My Lord Count..." he gasped, "One acre of land... the yield of one acre of land..."
Not only Bruno, but even Old Ford, L'Hopi and others looked at him eagerly at this moment.
"The output of one acre of land...is a full 700 kilograms!"
When the number of 700 kilograms came out of Shabi's mouth, everyone present was so shocked that they were speechless...
This kind of output... is already terrifying enough! You know, if this acre of land is planted with wheat... I'm afraid you'd be thankful to be able to harvest 100 kilograms of wheat in a year, right? That's right!
The wheat yield of this era was so low! Since people did not know how to cultivate the land carefully and did not know how to use human and animal feces for fertilizer, coupled with the defects of the wheat variety itself, a yield of 100 kilograms per acre of wheat was considered very good in a year!
Compared to the 700 kilograms per mu of corn... this is a seven-fold difference!
However, although it is 700 kilograms, the edible part should not reach 700 kilograms.
However, even if the cob in the middle of the corn cannot be eaten by humans, it does not mean that it has no other uses.
For example, these corn cobs can be used as feed for livestock along with the corn stalks left in the fields, or they can be dried and made into plant charcoal for heating in the winter. In addition, they can even be used to cultivate oyster mushrooms! So, although the 700 kilograms figure is a bit exaggerated, it has far exceeded everyone's expectations.
Even though everyone had a rough estimate of the corn yield the moment they saw the hill of golden corn, thinking it should be more than the wheat produced per acre of land, they never thought it would be so much more!
Originally, in the view of old Ford and others, even if the corn output would be higher, it should not be too outrageous.
However, when the number 700 kilograms came out of Shabi's mouth, everyone felt incredible.
Even Bruno himself felt a little shocked.
Because according to his original prediction, it would be very good if he could produce about 600 kilograms, and even if he could only produce 500 kilograms or 400 kilograms, it would be completely acceptable.
After all...the per-acre yield of crops is closely related to the land on which these crops are planted, and the water and soil conditions in different places will also bring different outputs of corn.
Moreover, even if it can only produce 400 to 500 kilograms, it is much higher than the yield of wheat...
However, the originally fertile land, coupled with the serfs' careful cultivation and timely application of fertilizers every day, resulted in a final yield of 700 kilograms!
Although the reason why the figure of 700 kilograms can be reached is due to the combined effect of many factors, but... even if it decreases a little, it is still more than 600 kilograms! Moreover, even if it is promoted on a large scale in the future, the yield of corn will not necessarily decrease.
Since this is the first time planting, only corn is planted in this cornfield. Later, when corn begins to be promoted on a large scale throughout the entire Idar Territory, it can be planted together with soybeans!
Intercropping! This is knowledge learned in high school, and Bruno's memory of some things is relatively solid! Although the conflict between the roots of soybeans and corn will lead to a reduction in soybean production, it will greatly increase the yield and economic value of corn! This is because soybeans, as a leguminous crop, have short plants, and the root nodules parasitic on the roots can fix nitrogen.
Corn happens to be a crop that likes nitrogen and needs fertilizer. Intercropping the two can not only effectively improve the ventilation and light conditions of corn, more rationally utilize the nutrients in the soil, but also reduce the insect eating rate of soybeans!
Of course, the surprise brought by corn is actually just one of the three surprises.
While the serfs were busy harvesting corn in the fields on this side, the potatoes planted in the fields on the other side were also being dug out one by one.
If the yield of corn is shocking, then the yield of potatoes is enough to make people faint with joy! One acre of land, 1,500 kilograms! This is twice as much as planting corn and 15 times as much as planting wheat!
So much so that when the Idar officials present heard the output of sweet potatoes per acre, they had become numb...
One acre of land can produce more than 2,000 kilograms of sweet potatoes, or even close to 3,000 kilograms! !
Seven hundred kilograms of corn, fifteen hundred kilograms of potatoes, and more than two thousand kilograms, or even close to three thousand kilograms of sweet potatoes! Old Ford was supported by others almost the entire time. After all... such data was really too shocking...
When calculating the sweet potato output, old Ford even came over and calculated with Shabi.
At this moment, the officials of Idar, including Old Ford, finally understood why their Lord Earl had to call everyone to witness it with their own eyes, because if such a number was not calculated with their own eyes, no one would believe it! "The output of these grains... is probably more than ten times higher than that of wheat..." Old Ford muttered to himself as he looked at the fields in front of him.
"In fact, after large-scale fertilization and pest control, the wheat output in Idar County this year can at least double!" Bruno walked to old Ford's side at some point and said softly.
"My Lord Earl..."
At this moment, old Ford felt so excited in his heart that he almost fainted from excitement. Let’s just knock on a miracle!
As long as the Earl can make money, earn food and develop faster than he squanders his fortune, then he won’t have to worry about whether the old Earl’s coffin can be held down! “Shabi!”
Just then, Bruno suddenly shouted.
"Here I come!"
As soon as Bruno finished speaking, he saw Shabi running over with a red face! The Earl really values him the most! Shabi vaguely remembered that when the Earl promoted him to be a poop scooper, he once told him that only by scooping enough poop can he be successful!
What you said is indeed true!
Look at the current yields of potatoes, sweet potatoes and corn. Which one is not the best among all grains? As the agricultural director of Idar Territory, Shabi suddenly felt that the shit he had shoveled and the fatigue he had suffered before all had special meaning! "Although the grain for this season has been harvested, you must act immediately and prepare for the next round of planting of potatoes and sweet potatoes!" Bruno said seriously.
"sowing?"
Shabi was stunned for a moment, not quite reacting.
In fact, not only him, but also the others present were stunned...
"My Lord Earl, are you saying... that we should sow the seeds now?"
Bruno nodded and said:
"Potatoes and sweet potatoes can be planted twice a year. One crop is sown in early spring and harvested in summer. After that, more can be sown in autumn and harvested in the spring of the following year.
Although the output of the second season may be slightly less than that of the previous season due to weather conditions, it is still much higher than the output of other crops.”
After hearing Bruno's words, everyone present felt dizzy for a moment.
Oh my god! The yield per mu is over a thousand kilograms, and there are two crops per year! The Earl is really cheating! (End of this chapter)
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