Chapter 225 Autumn harvest and seed-to-harvest ratio

Several legion commanders were anxious to make meritorious deeds and forgot this principle for a moment. At this moment, they quickly shut up and quietly moved their chairs towards Quintus and the others, hoping to persuade them in private.

When the etiquette and education staff standing next to the hall noticed this, they immediately walked over to stop them from doing this.

Even if the several legion commanders are higher in rank than each other, they can only obey obediently, because it is the responsibility of the Department of Ethics to maintain the order of the tribal meeting.

Maximus turned a blind eye to this, looked around at everyone, and asked loudly: "Do you have anything else to report?"

Volenus stood up and said: "Chief, we are blessed by the gods this year. According to the people of Ardei, the rainy season is shorter than in previous years, and the river water is not as swollen as in previous years. The climate is also very good so far. Let's plant seeds in early spring. The wheat has now all set ears and begun to mature. It is estimated that harvesting can begin in mid-August.

And according to our Ministry of Agriculture’s observations of farmland in various places these days, there are about 20 to 30 wheat ears in the field, and the grains are relatively full, except for some fields far away from the river bank and close to the mountains and forests that are not very fertile. In addition to the fact that the wheat is not growing well, according to our estimates, as long as nothing unexpected happens in the future, each mu of field can produce about 75 to 85 kilograms of wheat. This is a bumper harvest! "

When Volenus said this, he looked excited and looked at Maximus with fiery eyes. Affected by some rumors in the tribe, he felt that the tribe had taken advantage of Maximus and favored the young leader. The gods also blessed the tribe's farmland.

A yield of about 80 kilograms per mu is considered a bumper harvest? ! ...Maximus was a little disappointed with this, and even doubted whether the other party had made a mistake.

In his previous life, he probably knew that China's wheat yield per mu was more than 800 kilograms, and that it was common in many areas to exceed 1,000 kilograms. Even though agricultural technology was backward in this era, a few months ago he worked hard with the Ministry of Agriculture to help tribal people improve farming technology. To improve the fertility of farmland... I always felt that it would be worthy of his efforts to have two to three hundred catties, but he didn't expect that he couldn't even get over one hundred catties.

"Chief, the yield per mu can reach 80 kilograms, which is already a pretty good result!" Volenus has been with Maximus for more than two years and is his important assistant. He knows very well that although the leader is young, he is also a gladiator. Although he is familiar with agricultural knowledge, he is often able to put forward some unheard of amazing ideas and suggestions about agriculture. He is indeed blessed by the gods, but after all, he has little practical experience in farmland and does not know much about the agricultural situation in the Mediterranean.

So Volenus explained patiently: "Our grain planting and harvesting have already reached 1:8. In many places in Italy, the wheat yield per mu is only 50 to 60 kilograms, and the grain planting and harvesting are only about 1:5. In the Samnite Mountains, it is only a pitiful 1:2. Only in the Vesuvius region of Campanaia can the yield per mu be as high as 120 to 130 kilograms, and the grain planting and harvesting can be as high as 1:11, 12 or even 14. I heard that in Egypt The wheat yield per mu on both sides of the Nile River can also reach this figure, but this is only a minority in the Mediterranean. Generally speaking, our tribe’s wheat yield per mu this year is relatively high!

And we have to consider that this is our first time farming along the Kupa River. Some of the land has been abandoned for several years and is no longer mature land. There are also some tidal flats and small swamps that have just been reclaimed... The yield per mu of these new fields are not high, thus lowering the tribe’s average yield per mu.

But this year we have planted all the fields we can with wheat. By September, the wheat harvest will be enough to fill every barn. Not only can we solve our food shortage problem, but it is more than enough..."

"Okay, this is good news!" Maximus smiled. In the past few months, the food problem has been a big stone that has been pressing on him and the top brass of the Nyx tribe. For this reason, they had to change their previous caution. With his attitude, he has exchanged prisoners for food with Segostika several times, so the number of prisoners released reached 1,500.

"Chief, you don't have to worry too much. This time, the tribesmen planted the land in a hurry, and the preparations were not sufficient. The manure was not transported enough, and there was not enough deep plowing. The fields were not cleared thoroughly enough, and the wheat seedlings were not taken care of enough. , and more importantly, the quality of the grain was not very good... so the output did not reach the target we expected.

In fact, several of the experimental fields in charge of our Ministry of Agriculture have been intensively cultivated according to the method you mentioned, and the wheat has grown much better. According to our estimates, the yield per mu can reach at least 150 kilograms——"

As soon as Volenus said this, there was an exclamation in the hall.

"Please keep the meeting quiet!" the ethics department member reminded loudly.

Maximus had a polite smile on his face. In fact, he was not impressed by it. Instead, he felt a bit sad: It seems that even if he tries his best, the current wheat yield per acre may only reach about 200 kilograms at most. If not Chemical fertilizers, and without hybridization to improve wheat seeds, it is difficult to double the yield.

Regarding hybridization, Maximus only knew some concepts and had no specific practice; as for chemical fertilizers, he had no idea how to make them, not to mention that it was impossible to produce them with the current technical level...

Thinking of this, Maximus felt calmer.

"After this harvest, our Ministry of Agriculture will further promote these good farming techniques to the ethnic groups, so that the yields of their fields can be increased."

"Very well, this is exactly what your Department of Agriculture should do." Maximus nodded.

"However, chief, this time we are fully cultivating wheat, which consumes a lot of the fertility of the land." Volenus changed the subject. He solemnly said: "Next, I hope to rotate the fields to maintain the fertility of the land. Some large farms in Campania divide the fields into two parts, half for farming and half for fallow, and then rotate it the next year, so It not only reduces the consumption of land fertility, but also improves the use of land...

However, I think the three-field crop rotation method you told us before, leader, is better! Divide the field into three parts, one part for spring sowing, one part for autumn sowing, and one part temporarily left vacant, and the three parts of the land are rotated for cultivation.

Add manure and grass fertilizer to temporarily idle land to enhance land fertility. You can also plant beans. As the leader said, you can add another type of fertility to the soil and enrich the food types of the people.

At the same time, we also need to let the tribesmen set aside some idle land to plant alfalfa. This kind of grass is loved by horses, cattle and sheep. It can make them grow fatter and stronger. If there are more livestock, it will also increase the tribe’s food reserves. , and also in response to your previous call, the leader, to ask the people to raise more cattle and horses to increase animal power...

Therefore, the Ministry of Agriculture is preparing to implement three-field crop rotation among tribes. We have tried it in the experimental fields. Although the time is still short, we have accumulated some experience. I hope you, the leader, can agree! "

Volenus talked incessantly, Maximus listened attentively, and other officials were also attracted.

After listening, Maximus' confidence increased again. He said very seriously: "Farming is a physical job, and it is also a technical job. As long as we continue to raise good wheat seeds, improve farming methods, and improve farming methods With tools, our wheat and other crop yields can be continuously improved! And the Ministry of Agriculture is the backbone of our tribe to achieve this goal. Just go ahead and implement the three-plantation rotation in the next step!”

"Yes, Chief!" Volenus was encouraged and even more excited: "Our Ministry of Agriculture is also preparing to persuade the people to set aside a piece of land to grow flax, so that the weaving workshop can purchase it and give them an extra piece of land. income……"

"Can."

"Now that the wheat is about to mature, we need to be most vigilant in the next month, because there are many birds in the mountains, and they will come in groups to eat. We must try our best to drive them away.

There are also some animals such as voles that will attack us. In order to prevent our efforts for more than half a year from being in vain, we hope to get help from other departments. "

"That's no problem." Maximus promised immediately.

He glanced at the other people in the hall and said in a sonorous tone: "Now food is the most important issue for our tribe. In order to ensure a good harvest, you all must do your best to cooperate with the Ministry of Agriculture!"

"Yes!!" the officials responded in unison.

Maximus added: "If there is a bumper wheat harvest in the end and the food problem is solved, the Ministry of Agriculture has made great efforts and should be credited, and the tribe will give rewards when the time comes."

The staff of the Ministry of Agriculture immediately became excited, because tribal rewards usually mean promotion to the ethnic level.

Under the envious eyes of officials from other departments, Volenus sat down with satisfaction.

Capito stood up immediately: "Chief, the curved shaft plow you asked our Ministry of Works to try out before. The craftsmen have made it after many attempts, and they also asked the Ministry of Agriculture to try it out for a period of time. , they all said that this new plow is much better than the original straight plow!”

"Yes, Chief, our Ministry of Agriculture has used this new plow. It is indeed much easier to use than the old plow." Volenus said: "First of all, the weight of the plow is significantly reduced, which not only saves effort for the people to cultivate the land. , the oxen and horses pulling the plow also save effort;

Secondly, it is more convenient to operate and can turn flexibly and effortlessly. For strong people, this new plow can even be controlled with one hand;

And its iron plowshare is a triangular semi-conical shape, which not only plows deeply into the soil, but also automatically pushes the turned soil to both sides, reducing obstacles when the plow moves forward... I hope the Ministry of Works can make more This kind of plow can be used by every ethnic group. "

Maximus looked at Capito: "Is the curved shaft plow easy to make?"