Chapter 1138 Planting Cotton

  After the beginning of spring, cat winter is officially over, and spring plowing begins.

  Hou Jiuyou of Pingcheng County had military exploits, and the emperor rewarded 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, for Feng Duhu's identity, this is a relatively small number.

   But there is no other way.

  When the first emperor ruled Shu, most of the land near Jincheng was owned by aristocratic families.

  So the imperial court did not have much land to give to the heroes, so they had to reward more gold, silver, grain, cloth and silk.

  After the death of the prime minister, only fifteen hectares of land were left.

   At the same time, intentionally or unintentionally, a tradition has been left to future generations:

  The Son of Heaven rewards his courtiers, more gold, silver, money, grain, cloth and silk, but less land.

  Although last year in Chang'an when the award was made, the emperor increased the property of the prime minister's mansion to one hundred hectares.

   But this number can only be regarded as normal.

  He Yan, the favorite minister of Wei State, collected more than 200 hectares of land for himself in less than three years.

  As the prime minister who has never come after Ji Han—at least in the eyes of the emperor, it is like this—only received a normal amount of land reward.

  Feng Duhu, as a latecomer, naturally did not dare to surpass the prime minister.

  So I had to fold it in half and asked for fifty hectares.

  Feng Duhu deliberately selected 30 mu of land beside Baqiao from the 50 hectares of land, and prepared to have cotton planted.

  The beginning of spring is not the time to grow cotton, so we have to wait another month.

  But now it’s time to tidy up the fields and make preparations.

   "Brother, why don't you grow more?"

  Not on duty today, Zhao Zhongjianjun, who followed Feng Duhu to the edge of the Baqiao for an outing, looked at the farmers who were tidying up the fields, and asked curiously.

   As far as the cotton is concerned, it is indeed a good thing.

  Four or five years ago, when my elder brother was in charge of Liangzhou, Mrs. Hua brought some seeds back from the south.

  Brother asked people to try planting in Liangzhou. In the past few years, inside the Xinghan Association, several brothers have more quilts in their homes, which are very comfortable to cover in winter.

  There are still some cotton yarns in the army. I heard that it is also made of cotton. It is used to wrap wounded soldiers to stop bleeding, and the effect is very good.

  In Zhao Guang's view, such good things should be promoted early.

  But the elder brother didn't know what to think, and he never mentioned this matter officially.

  Even in Liangzhou, it is only grown on the farm of Xinghanhui, and it is not found in other places.

  Originally, Zhao Guang thought that his elder brother was looking for money for the brothers in the association, 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 big source of income. Why did it go to those big families in Hedong of Bingzhou? Can't we leave it to our own brothers?"

   "You know what a fart!"

  Even if Zhao Guang has been promoted to General Zhengnan, he may be able to show his prestige in front of others, but in front of Feng Duhu, he is still a little brother, and he can scold him whenever he wants.

   "The club is now focusing its energy on mining coal and iron in Yanmen and Jiuyuan. How can it care about this?"

   Isn’t selling coal and iron easier than growing cotton?

  Whether it is Jiuyuan or the Yanmen frontier fortress, the winter there is cold in Japan. Coupled with the blessing of the climate of the Little Glacier, the local garrison does not know how much coal they will consume in winter.

   After all, you can’t let the garrison learn from the barbarians and pick up dung and burn it for warmth all year round, right?

  More importantly, iron smelting requires a lot of manpower, material and financial resources in advance.

   Cotton planting, we don't know when we will lay down the east side.

  Who can wait?

   "We can also plant in Liangzhou, Guanzhong!"

   Zhao Guang said a little unconvinced:

   "Although the brothers' land in Guanzhong is not too much, it is still possible to plant tens of thousands of acres."

   "Let's not talk about Liangzhou..."

  Before he finished speaking, he was interrupted roughly by Feng Duhu: "So I said, you know a fart!"

   "If this thing can really be planted at will, why don't you think I haven't promoted it in the past few years?"

  Feng Duhu glanced at this guy contemptuously, and pointed to the 30 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, even in Longyou, I won't let it be planted."

   "Even in the Kanto region in the future, no one can grow whatever they want. If they want to grow, they have to be like opening a workshop, and they need to pay for food and buy qualifications in advance."

   Zhao Guang was startled when he heard this:

   "Brother, why is this? Since it is a good thing, it can replace both hemp and cotton, why not let it be more?"

  "Because it's not easy to grow, it costs water, fertilizer, and people, and ordinary people can't afford it."

  The quality of cotton at this time is not very good, the yield is not high, and the ability to prevent insects is not very good.

   This is the conclusion Feng Duhu came to after comparing the later generations with Xinghanhui Farm in Liangzhou.

  Especially this thing, it will also occupy the farmland.

  If it weren’t for the fact that Dahan’s current grain output has increased by leaps and bounds, especially after taking Guanzhong, it is sitting on two lands of abundance, which would cause the worry of cheap grain and hurting farmers.

  Feng Duhu is afraid that he will press the cotton issue for a few more years, maybe even a dozen or so decades.

   But no matter what, Shu and Guanzhong, plus Longyou, the three main grain-producing areas of the Han Dynasty, will never allow a large amount of cotton to grow.

   Big deal let Liangzhou do it.

  However, the local aristocrats in Liangzhou have the wool textile industry, and the motivation to develop the cotton textile industry is probably not enough.

  Of course, if someone from Guanzhong or even Kanto wants to go to Liangzhou to develop the cotton textile industry, the imperial court will welcome it, and it will be regarded as enriching the frontier.

  Because the more stable Liangzhou is, the more stable Longyou, the barrier west of Guanzhong, will be.

  As for the people in Kanto who want to grow cotton...Feng Du protects them to death!

  Let them taste the sweetness first, and then we will see how he kills these Kanto aristocratic families.

   Just like weaving wool with wool, it seems that Hu people can get rich, but Feng Duhu's real purpose is not for the sake of Hu people.

  Although he promised to teach those aristocratic families in Hedong of Bingzhou how to grow cotton, Feng Duhu didn't teach them how to use cotton.

  It doesn't matter if they weave cotton.

  But if you want to further add value to cotton, you have to ask Xinghanhui first.

   And even if it is just weaving, can the efficiency be compared with Xinghanhui?

  No matter how simple a joint workshop is, it is much better than a sporadic family workshop.

   It doesn’t matter if someone wants to regret it at that time, anyway, the money and food paid for the cotton qualification will not be refunded.

   How about you go to Jiuyuan to open up wasteland and farm?

  There can give you double the property, enclose land at will, and give you a workshop qualification.

   Besides, even if it is selling cotton, it doesn’t mean that you won’t be allowed to make money, as long as you cooperate with the imperial court obediently, sell cotton at the set price, and don’t drive up prices.

   Is it true that the pricing power of the exchange is for nothing?

   All bulk materials or strategic materials will be benchmarked against the price set by the exchange in the future.

   Grain, wool, brown sugar, silk, livestock, salt, iron...

   Cotton is no exception in the future.

  If you want to challenge the pricing power of the exchange, you must first go over the treasury reserves of the Xinghanhui and the imperial court.

   As far as the current situation is concerned, even if the Wei and Wu countries use the power of the whole country, there is no hope of success in the challenge.

   Not to mention the entire territory of the Han Dynasty, but at least in the core area of ​​the Han Dynasty, the government must have this control.

  Of course, this is a long-term goal. For this goal, Dahan will continue to strengthen the laying of official roads.

  At least like the former Han Dynasty, it must be able to spread official roads and post pavilions all the way to the Western Regions.

  This goal is very long-term, and it will take more than ten years or even decades to achieve it.

  But Feng Duhu has this confidence.

  After all, in the past, the only way to open mountains and pave roads was to dig slowly.

   It's different now.

  As long as the world is unified, it is still necessary to dig mountains and pave roads, but the holes are the holes.

   It is naturally impossible for Feng Duhu to tell Zhao Guang all these grand plans and ambitions.

  He just said:

   "If someone in the meeting really wants to grow cotton, you can just bring it up. Liangzhou has a lot of land, and the meeting can provide cotton seeds."

  Now in Liangzhou, there are too many Hu people and too few Han people, too much land and too few people.

   If someone is willing to make a contribution, Feng Duhu welcomes it very much.

  Zhao Guang rubbed his head, he seemed a little embarrassed:

   "Little brother is just talking casually. Since elder brother has already planned, it must be very reasonable. Younger brother can just follow elder brother."

   "Back then, my elder brother didn't have much authority, and he was still able to lead his brother to make a fortune. Now that my elder brother is the head of all officials in the Han Dynasty, who in the meeting would dare to question my elder brother's vision?"

   Those who dared to violate the rules almost died in the purges of the year before last and last year.

  Feng Duhu let out a "tsk".

   He said this as if he was a great dictator.

   I want to explain, but think about it, what explanation do I have with this guy?

  With his IQ, he couldn't understand even if he said it.

  I can’t say it, but it will become darker and darker.

  The two brothers were talking, but they saw a woman walking towards them in the field.

  The woman came in front of the two of them, and bowed to Feng Du: "I have seen you."

  Feng Duhu nodded and signaled: "Get up."

   "Thank you Junhou."

   "Li Xu, how is this land? Is it suitable for growing cotton?"

  The woman is the third wife of the Xu family who is married to Li Mu's younger brother Li Tong.

   Over the years, she has been the planting expert of Xinghanhui.

  Xing Hanhui has never worried about food in these years, and Li Xu has contributed a lot.

  Her husband, Li Tong, is a breeding expert of the Xinghanhui, and he can be described as a husband and wife.

  In Liangzhou, Li Xu has been in charge of the cotton planting experiment on the farm under the name of the Xinghan Society for the past few years.

  At this time, Li Xu heard Feng Duhu's question, nodded and replied:

   "Go back to Junhou, yes."

   But she hesitated for a moment, and then reminded:

   "However, although the land in Guanzhong is fertile, cotton needs 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."

   "When there are flower buds, and before and after flowering, fertilizer should be applied at least once. Otherwise, if the fertility is insufficient, the cotton plant will be short and the cotton yield will be insufficient."

  Feng Duhu nodded:

   "It's just fertilizer for 30 acres of land. You don't have to worry about it. You have to take care of this matter. You can plant as good as you can."

  With Feng Duhu's guarantee, Li Xu was relieved: "I understand."

  Feng Duhu looked at the field, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

  Why did he put the cotton demonstration field here?

  Because anyone who enters and exits the two passes from the west and the east must pass through them.

   That is to say, whether you come to Chang'an from the east or leave Chang'an to go to the east, you have to pass through Baqiao.

  Since you are from the east, you can't miss the white cotton, right?

   Zhao Guang on the side heard it, and was a little speechless:

   "This cotton still needs so much fertilizer?"

  When my elder brother was improving the farming method in Jincheng, one of the most important things was to apply more fertilizer.

  In this case, it can be cultivated continuously for two or three years and then fallow for one year.

   For others, it is necessary to have annual rotation of plowing and fallow.

  That’s how it is, the land planted by the elder brother still charges 20-30% more than others.

  So even if Zhao Guang doesn't know how to farm anymore, he also knows that cotton's requirements for fertilizers are already ridiculously high.

   Li Xu said in a serious tone:

   "That's right. That's why I've always suggested to Junhou that it's best not to grow cotton on a large scale unless there is enough food for the big man."

   "Even if it is to be planted, the planting area must be restricted, and the private sector cannot be allowed to plant at will."

   Grabbing land is still a trivial matter, the key is to grab fat.

  In the fields where crops are grown, if there is not enough fertilizer, the food production will decrease.

  With fertilizer, the field can be cultivated continuously for three years.

  Without fertilizer, the fields can only be cultivated in rotation, one year after planting and one year off.

  This reduction in production is not a little bit, a reduction of three or four percent is the most basic.

   Even with the current grain output of Dahan, it is possible to reduce it by 50%.

  Feng Duhu smiled and said:

   "Don't worry, agriculture and mulberry are the foundation of a country, and enough food will ensure the safety of the people. How can I not understand this?"

  He glanced at the field again, 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, maybe they don't need to use fertilizer as carefully as they are now."

   The manure of poultry such as chickens, ducks and geese cannot be used directly, but it can be fertilized to become cooked manure.

   But poultry is too small after all.

  Cows are different.

  In the previous life, when I was young, the cow was not only the main labor force in the family, but also the main force in accumulating manure.

  The muddy roads in the village and the manure dropped by cattle will be picked up everywhere.

  Old people in the village sometimes don’t have any tools at hand, and even use clods of soil to surround the cow dung in a circle, indicating that the cow dung has an owner.

  Hearing Feng Duhu's words, Zhao Guang didn't feel anything yet, but Li Xu's eyes were a little worshipful:

   "Junhou has actually done a lot for the people of the world."

   "Now Dahan has a lot of pastures, and he can rent cattle and horses for the people, and as long as he is willing to work hard, it is not impossible to have a cow at home."

  In recent years, Xinghanhui has cooperated with the government, and the government guarantees that the cows and horses will be rented out by the cattle and horse farm under the name of Xinghanhui.

  Families who are willing to rent cattle and horses, although they need to pay extra food to the Xinghan Society and the government.

  But it may be three years, or five years, as long as a calf and a pony are born during the period, it can be regarded as one's own home.

  When the calf and pony grow up, won't the family have a large livestock for nothing?

   To put it bluntly, it is to use grain to buy calves and ponies in installments.

  It can be said that this policy contributed a lot to Dahan's increase in grain production in recent years.

  Feng Duhu thought more and sighed slightly:

   "It would be great if there were struvite. That thing is much stronger than the manure we use now. A sack of struvite may be worth an ox cart of manure."

   Li Xu's eyes lit up when he heard it:

   "There are such strange things in the world? Dare I ask you, where is this struvite produced?"

   "It's far away!" Feng Duhu said casually, "If you go to the sea from Jiaozhou, there should be quite a few islands in the southeast."

  Unfortunately, Jiaozhou is not in the hands of the big man.

   "Huh? Is that so? Are you actually overseas?"

  When Li Xu heard the words, a look of disappointment suddenly appeared on his face:

   "The big man doesn't have such a strange thing?"

  Feng Duhu couldn't bear to see her like this, and comforted him:

   "It can't be said that there is no such thing at all. For example, in the caves in the deep mountains, there are places where bats live in groups. It may be that there is such a thing."

   "But the number is too small, not comparable to the island."

  Struvite is a kind of feces accumulated by birds and animals. Because there are bats living in caves, their feces and corpses are mixed on the ground. Over the years, some struvite will also be formed.

  However, the main production area still depends on the island.

  Why does Feng Duhu know this?

  Because geography textbooks say there are.

  Especially the small country of Nauru, which was built on bird droppings. You don’t have to do anything, just dig the bird droppings and you can sell it for a lot of money. His mother is really happy!

  Feng Duhu's major is a certain type of civil engineering related to geography, so he is naturally the clearest.

   Later I heard about that small country, and finally dug up the bird droppings.

  Even the Nauru Building built in Tu'ao was sold due to poor management.

  The dream of the whole country to migrate to Australia has been shattered, and the national income is not as good as before.

   This news made Feng Duhu, who had been brooding since high school, happy for a while.

  Damn let you get something for nothing, silly bi?

  Recalling the events of his previous life, Feng Duhu couldn't help but sigh.

  Others seem to be separated from each other, but I am really separated from each other!

   Li Xu, on the other hand, bowed his head thoughtfully.

  (end of this chapter)