Chapter 12 The average yield per mu is eight stones Zhao Yingluo is naturally in her experimental field.
In July, the fields of corn have grown to the height of a person, with baby corn cobs in the middle.
Seeing that after months of hard work, the results finally came to fruition, the farmers who took the risk to plant corn finally felt relieved.
As long as it blooms and there are fruits, there will be a harvest, no matter whether the harvest is three stones or six stones.
On the other hand, those farmers who laughed at the corn for not blooming had mixed feelings.
"It only yielded a small amount, who knows what the harvest will be in the future."
"That is, the planting density per acre is far different from that of soybeans and millet. How big can the yield be?"
"I don't believe it can produce more than six stones per mu!"
……
When Zhao Yingluo saw them coming out to make sarcastic remarks again, she was so sarcastic that she finally couldn't help but started to quarrel, "Who said a month ago that corn can't ear? Who said it can only be used for cooking? Now that it has eared, don't you blush?" "
Chuntao also stood up to vent her anger on her girl's behalf, "That's right, if we wait for another month for a good corn harvest, you will make you cry!"
Jiang Laosi somewhat looked down on these short-sighted farmers, "You are short-sighted! We will see the results in a month, go and work on your grains."
After dispersing these farmers, Jiang Laosi began to assist Zhao Yingluo in field management. At this time, in addition to necessary fertilization and watering, the cornfield should also be weeded.
More importantly, attention should be paid to preventing larvae such as corn borers and rapeseed mealybugs from gnawing on young corn cobs.
In this era without pesticides, Zhao Yingluo had no choice but to choose the stupidest method, mobilizing farmers to catch bugs on corn, and then use these bugs to feed domestic chickens, ducks and other poultry. The waste must be fully utilized.
A month is neither long nor short.
It seemed that God had favored her. Except for the lack of rain in June, the weather was smooth throughout July. In August, after the rainy season, the corn cobs grew bigger and bigger, and the tender corn kernels inside quickly hardened, and the entire corn plant Some leaves start to turn yellow.
For the first corn harvest of this era, in order to have a more ceremonial feel and to witness the yield per mu, Zhao Yingluo invited Zongze, Lu Haowen, Li Gang and others who were in charge of Kaifeng, as well as some gentry representatives from Kaifeng City.
In order to speed up the harvest and measure the yield per mu as quickly as possible, Zhao Yingluo gathered these dozen farmers together, selected four acres of corn fields that were representative of each, and asked the servants and maids from the farm and the house to help. There were nearly a hundred people.
With more people and greater strength, the four acres of land were harvested in just two hours. Seeing the golden ears of corn piled up like a hill at the edge of the field, Zongze and others laughed from ear to ear.
Of course, the happiest people are the agricultural farmers. Although these corn cobs have not yet been threshed and the exact yield cannot be determined, it is enough to estimate the approximate yield, at least four stones!They've already earned it.
Zongze and others simply did not go back to the city and had a farm meal at the farm to prepare to witness the yield data per mu that would be released in the afternoon.
With the efforts of everyone, the four hills of corn finally turned into four piles of corn kernels at sunset.
Afterwards, Zhao Yingluo started arranging people to put four piles of corn into sacks and weigh them without stopping.
Jiang Laosi counted while taking notes, "Plot one: one stone...two stones...three stones..."
Every time a stone was reported, the farmers who planted corn cheered loudly.
However, those farmers who were standing not far away and watching the excitement were filled with regret as they listened to Teacher Jiang’s continuous counting.
"Four stones!"
Zongze, who had always been calm, couldn't help but stand up when he heard Si Shi's report. The yield of Si Shi had completely exceeded the maximum yield of almost all looked at the pile of corn that was still quite a bit, and the shock in his heart became even stronger.
"Five stones!"
This time everyone couldn't sit still and came to the weighing in disbelief.
"Six stones!"
"Seven stones!"
"Eight stones!"
……
The final yield per mu was fixed at more than eight stones. When Jiang Laosi reported the last number, the farmers were so excited that they jumped and laughed like children. In the end, they even cried. This was tears of joy.
In the past, they grew crops such as soybeans and grains, and could only harvest more than one stone from one acre of land. Most of them had to pay rent, and it was difficult to support their families with the rest.
If there was a natural disaster, they would have to borrow money from Lu Haowen to survive.
Before she decided to take the risk of planting corn, Zhao Yingluo had promised that if the yield per mu exceeded six stones, she would only receive two stones, which meant that they could keep six stones from this mu of land!These six stones mean that they will not go hungry due to lack of food throughout the year, and the remaining food can be exchanged for some money to buy some practical things.
Zong Ze burst into tears. His 70 years of life witnessed the peaceful and prosperous age of the Song Dynasty, but this peaceful and prosperous age was only enough for the people to have food and clothing.
God sent this man into the world. Blessed is the Song Dynasty, and blessed are all the people in the world! Thinking of this, he knelt down without any regard for his identity. It didn't matter that he knelt down. Li Gang and other officials, as well as the gentry, knelt on the ground in farmers even kowtowed to her like pounding garlic, and some even called her "Shen Nong" or "Living Bodhisattva".
Of all the people, only Lu Haowen was left standing there in embarrassment, not knowing whether to kneel or not.
He just learned a few days ago that when Zhao Yingluo had a secret meeting with Zong Ze, she still used the identity of his niece "Wanshu".
If he kneels down, there is no reason for an uncle to kneel down as a "niece".
But if he didn't kneel down, the real identity of the person opposite was the majestic Princess of the Song Dynasty, not to mention that his immediate boss Zong Ze would also kneel down.
Seeing this, Zhao Yingluo hurriedly helped Zong Ze up, "The old general is seventy years old and guarding the territory of the Song Dynasty. There is no need to pay such a courtesy."
After Zongze stood up tremblingly, he smiled and said to Lu Haowen, "Mr. Lu is really lucky to have such a capable niece. If corn is popularized on a large scale and the army has sufficient food and grass, why worry about the Jin people going south?"
Lu Haowen said with a smile, "It's not the lower officials who are blessed, it's the Song Dynasty that is blessed."
After some emotion, Jiang Laosi continued to ask everyone to weigh the remaining three piles of corn. The result was not surprising. Each pile weighed about eight stones. Zhao Yingluo's originally promised goal was exceeded.
After Jiang Laosi announced the final result, Zhao Yingluo stood high on the field ridge. The setting sun in the distance was like blood, making her face particularly rosy.
"Wanshu thanks you for taking the risk to plant corn. I said before that if the yield per mu is less than one and a half dan, I will make up for it. If it exceeds six dan, you must pay a rent of two dan. I wonder if you still remember?"
The farmers said in unison, "Remember!"
"Very good, my lords, as witnesses, I reiterate once again, I only want you to rent two stones, and the rest will be yours."
Zhao Yingluo's categorical words floated in the fields, as if a ray of sunshine shone into the hearts of these farmers, dispelling their uncertain panic for months.
(End of this chapter)