Farming is the foundation of income generation and the foundation of all industries.

Li Mengxi made a speculation earlier. The root of the speculation is this. It is said that the land output of the ancient Central Plains increased with the passage of dynasties, and the grain production became higher and higher.

In the long time span of ancient times, science and technology did not change much. There were no chemical fertilizers and pesticides in the Han Dynasty, and there were no chemical fertilizers and pesticides in the last ancient dynasties, the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The Ming Dynasty used soil fertilizer, and the source of fertilizer was human and animal excrement. The source of fertilizer in the Han Dynasty was also only human and animal.

stool.

In other words, when it comes to fertilizers, there is no change in the source of fertilizers between the Ming and Qing Dynasties and the Han Dynasty.

However, the yield per mu has gradually increased in the past dynasties. Why is this?

If you think about it carefully, there may be reasons. It may be that grain seeds have been cultivated for a long time and the seeds are gradually optimized. It may be that water irrigation is becoming more and more popular, or it may be related to fertilizers.

Hypothetically, the increase in per-acre yield in later generations is related to improved grain varieties, popularization of water conservancy, and fertilizers.

Well, regarding fertilizers, it is known that there is no difference in the sources and types of fertilizers between the Ming and Qing dynasties and the Han Dynasty. So if there is no difference in fertilizers, how can the yield be increased?

As for the fertilizer itself, the controlled variable method is used to analyze its variables. The variables of fertilizer include fertilizer type, fertilizer treatment method, and fertilization method. There are roughly these three variables.

The variable type of fertilizer did not change between the Han and Ming and Qing dynasties, so the reason for the increase in production was not the type of fertilizer.

Li Mengxi didn't know much about fertilizer treatment methods, but he knew that fertilizers needed to be composted. He also asked the people in Julu City, and they all knew about composting. This shows that in terms of fertilizer treatment technology, the technology of the Han Dynasty and later Ming and Qing Dynasties was very different.

There is no difference.

[To be honest, I have been using the Huanyuan app recently to read and catch up on updates. It allows me to switch between sources and read aloud with many sounds. .huanyuanapp is available for Android and Apple.]

Since the type is not a difference, and the processing technology is not a difference, then it is most likely a difference in the way of fertilization. Li Mengxi once asked many farmers about this, and the farmers' answers were different. The farmers' fertilization methods are not uniform. The methods are confusing.

, there must be many fallacious methods, which may also prove that the fertilization method of the Han Dynasty may not be as efficient and scientific as that of later generations.

Based on this guess and considering the huge difficulty in solving fertilizer production, Li Mengxi settled for the next best thing and wanted to solve the problem of fertilizer shortage by improving fertilizer utilization efficiency.

Use the controlled variable method to make preliminary considerations. Regarding the question of fertilization, what variables can be included in fertilization itself? The answer is, the amount of fertilization, the number of fertilizations, the frequency of fertilization, and the time point of fertilization.

As for quantity, this does not need to be explored. There is no doubt that within a certain limit, the more fertilizer is applied, the better the crops will be. This does not need to be tested.

Regarding the frequency, I don’t know whether it is better to apply ten pounds of fertilizer all at once, or divide it into ten pounds and apply it once every once in a while.

Regarding the frequency, I don’t know whether it is better to fertilize once a month or once every two months.

As for time, the variable of time itself is divided into many factors. Time includes sunny and rainy, warm and cold, plant growth cycles, etc. So, is it better to fertilize when it rains, when it is dry, or when it is hot?

It is better to fertilize when the weather is cold. Also, in the growth cycle of plants, in the growth cycle of crops, is it better to apply fertilizer before sowing, to apply fertilizer together with the seeds when sowing, or to apply fertilizer when the seeds germinate?

It is better to fertilize when the leaves are growing, or during the jointing, flowering, panicling, etc. cycles.

There are many variables that need to be tested, and each set of tests requires a large number of samples to reduce errors.

Outside Julu City, many seedling fields have been set up for cultivating seedlings.

Following this, Li Mengxi prepared to set aside more fields as fertilization test sites.

To test, the first step is to prepare test land. Thousands of pieces of land of exactly the same size, soil thickness, and soil fertility must be prepared.

This first step of preparation is already extremely difficult.

The size of the land is easy to determine, just have someone measure it with a ruler.

The soil thickness is a little troublesome but not difficult to solve. You can dry the soil carefully, pick out the roots, grass stems and other debris, and then accurately weigh the same weight of soil, so that the thickness of the soil layer is the same.

of land.

However, soil fertility alone is problematic.

To ensure consistent soil fertility, it is best to dig soil in the same field. However, the demand is too great. The soil in one field is far from enough to cover thousands of experimental fields. The nature of the land determines.

There is a big difference in fertility between plots, not to mention different plots. Even in the same plot, the fertility at the head and middle of the plot may be very different.

Realizing the huge shortcomings of seeking soil from fields, Li Mengxi set his sights elsewhere.

So where are the huge amounts of soil with the same fertility?

The answer is, river beach, sand.

Sand is not soil. Sand is not to mention fertile. Sand is horribly barren. However, this is actually an advantage.

In scientific experiments, there is a magnification method, which means enlarging small phenomena to facilitate observation and recording.

Using water to display sound waves and using iron filings to display magnetic field lines are both amplification and conversion methods.

In the same way, sandy soil with extremely poor fertility can fully demonstrate the effects of fertility.

This is like giving a hungry person and a half-full person a piece of steamed bun to these two people, hoping to see the reaction of the human body after eating the food. There is no doubt that the body of the hungry person will change more after eating the food.

To be obvious.

The same is true for fertilizers. The soil in the fields is inherently fertile, so the crops do not respond significantly to the fertilizers applied. The sand, on the other hand, is barren enough, so more or less fertilizers will cause great changes in growth.

After the scouts searched along the river and found a wide enough river beach, Li Mengxi dispatched a large number of convoys to haul sand and began to prepare for filling the fields with sand.

When the officials of the Ministry of Agriculture heard that Li Mengxi wanted to use sand to grow grain, the conscientious officials hurried over to advise him. Their earnest advice must not be like this, as sand cannot grow grain.

Li Mengxi kindly explained why he did this and why sandy land was better than land. However, the officials still couldn't understand. They stubbornly believed that spreading grain on sandy land was a waste of food.

In the end, the official saw that Li Mengxi could not move and asked Jian Yong to come and persuade him.

Jian Yong came and asked Li Mengxi about the matter seriously. Jian Yong said that farming is a major matter and should not be messed with.

Li Mengxi couldn't laugh or cry, "It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if you can't grow crops. My original intention is not to grow crops."

Jian Yong refused to give up and repeatedly persuaded Li Mengxi to withdraw his orders.

"Oh, the mountain man has his own clever plan!" Li Mengxi had no choice but to prevaricate.

Jian Yong's persuasion failed, and Li Mengxi insisted on tossing in the sand.

Jian Yong thought about it again. There was a wild land outside the city where no grass even grew. He just planted what he planted. Even if there was really no food, he just carried a few thousand kilograms of grain seeds. It was not worth anything. Jian Yong stopped asking.

.

——

Li Mengxi roughly sorted out the entire test process. The variables involved in the test include the number of fertilization times, the frequency of fertilization, and the time of fertilization. The invariant to be controlled is the total amount of fertilization.

That is, no matter how often fertilizer is applied, whether it is applied on a sunny day or a rainy day, after the entire experiment, the total amount of fertilizer applied must be exactly the same within the 200-day growth cycle of the wheat.

To ensure that the amount of fertilizer applied is consistent, just use the weighing method. To ensure that the fertilizer applied is consistent, you must also ensure that the fertilizer is consistent.

Agricultural fertilizers come from sources such as human and animal excrement and dead animals. Considering the huge quantity required for testing and the need for consistent fertility, Li Mengxi felt that it was best to use cow dung.

The reasons are, firstly, the amount of cow dung is large, and secondly, cows are pure herbivores. Cow dung has simple composition and uniform fertility. Unlike omnivores, the fertility difference is too big when omnivores eat meat and when they do not eat meat.

Already.

In order to start a huge test plan during the next season of farming, Li Mengxi ordered the cow dung to be collected and processed from now on for use after autumn.

As for the experimental field, Li Mengxi planned to design a square field, surrounded by tall fields with high ridges, so that the irrigation water would not flow out easily, and the fertility would not easily flow away with the rain.

The test plan will run through the entire wheat growth cycle of the next season. Rain will inevitably occur for more than 200 days. If there are no ridges, what if the fertility is washed into the low-lying land when it rains?

Not a huge error.

Considering that the waterproof performance of soil is not good, Li Mengxi thought of pottery. It would be great if there were some giant clay ponds. With huge clay ponds, not a trace of water or fertilizer would flow outside, and the error would be limited.

.

There are a large number of pottery kilns in the southwest of Julu City. The pottery kilns are responsible for firing daily needs such as water tanks, large urns, and even pottery bowls and jars. Thanks to the production of pottery kilns, hundreds of thousands of Yellow Turban refugees settled in Julu.

At that time, many people had to share one bowl. Half a year later, everyone has one bowl.

Large pottery is equivalent to a large petri dish. In order to facilitate testing, and also taking into account issues such as cost performance and production cost, Li Mengxi issued a new order to the kiln factory. He ordered the kiln factory to cancel other production first and free up the pottery.

Eighty people worked hard to produce large round cylinders. The requirements were that the cylinder mouth should be as large as possible and all cylinders should be the same size.

It is almost the end of May, the summer harvest is about to begin, and autumn plowing is coming. In a short period of time, it is impossible for the kiln factory to produce the required large vats. Although it will not be used for the time being, there will always be others in the future.

Tests involving planting will be useful at that time.

A large vat is a tool. Once a large vat is produced, it can also be used for other purposes, such as storing grain, making wine, making vinegar, making soy sauce, and pickling pickles.

"Yes, brewing..." Li Mengxi, who was writing the test plan, suddenly remembered another important event.

Wine is so important. It is not only a good disinfectant, but also a high-value product that can earn huge profits. Alcohol is still the only alcohol substance that can be obtained so far. Alcohol is indispensable for extracting medicinal materials.

Before, because of the constant shortage of food, I had never dared to start large-scale wine making. Last winter, I used several hundred kilograms of food and summoned about thirty to fifty craftsmen to make a jar each in their own way. Li Mengxi wanted to make a pot in the countryside.

Find the most efficient method among the existing wine-making methods, and then improve it based on it.

Last winter, the dozens of jars of wine in that jar had been stored for half a year, so the wine was probably ready.

Li Mengxi put down his pen and paper and prepared to take a look.
Chapter completed!