Chapter 53: Agricultural Prospects

Chapter 53: Agricultural Prospects

TL: Etude

After confirming his cooperation with Hansel, Paul Grayman began to contemplate the agricultural issues within his territory.Read latest chapters at nov(e)lbin.com Only

Firstly, regarding land ownership, nominally all land in the Alda territory belonged to the Grayman family, similar to how all land in ancient China belonged to the emperor. However, the actual distribution of land used for agricultural production was as follows:

Nearly one-third of the arable land was directly under the lords manor, and its produce belonged entirely to the Grayman family. Slightly more than one-third was occupied by large landowners and gentry in various villages and towns (including vassals of the Grayman family), who paid taxes to the lords manor annually, keeping the remainder of the produce for themselves. The remaining third was owned by a significant number of self-farming peasants or small landowners.

Following the usual pattern, a Count like Paul would typically initiate a violent or mild land redistribution reform, ensuring every farmer in his territory had a plot of land to sustain themselves and their families, achieving the ideal of the tiller owns the land, and then basking in universal acclaim.

However, Pauls aspiration was not for a happy pastoral life under a small-scale farming economy. He envisioned industrialized, large-scale machine production, and small-scale farming was one of the major obstacles on the road to industrialization.

First, the small-scale farming economy bound a large number of peasants to small plots of land, restricting the formation of free labor. The lack of labor would limit the speed of industrial development.

Second, the self-sufficiency and instability of the small-scale farming economy meant that the small farmers lived in poverty, lacking the means to purchase more consumer goods. This led to a narrow market, hindering the development of the commodity economy.

Third, the weak economic power of small-scale farmers made it difficult for them to afford expensive machinery, adopt new technologies, or undertake large-scale soil improvement and irrigation projects. This was detrimental to increasing the yield of arable land.

Finally, the long-term existence of small plots of land would hinder the intensification of agricultural specialization, restrict the expansion of economic crops, and delay the commercialization of agricultural products.

He planned to establish organizations like agricultural associations and cooperatives at the village level, with the lords manor funding the purchase of farming tools, oxen, and other production materials to be rented to self-farming peasants at a low cost, thereby helping them improve labor efficiency.

As for the labor force needed for industrialization, he set his sights on another large group within his territorythe serfs. Slavery existed in this world and was quite common.

Ironically, the Church, which Paul both despised and feared, was the biggest opponent of the slavery system. One of its important founding principles was that all men are equal under God. After the Churchs status was widely recognized by various countries, it vigorously promoted several abolitionist movements. However, these efforts ultimately failed due to the resistance of vested interests, and as the Churchs higher echelons increasingly aligned with the nobility, this ideal gradually remained only a slogan.

But Count Paul did not plan to just pay lip service; subjectively, he could not accept the existence of slavery, and objectively, industrial development required a large labor force. Therefore, abolishing slavery within his own territory was imperative.

For the serfs directly under the lords manor, Paul intended to grant them freedom to choose whether to stay or leave. Those who stayed would be trained as agricultural workers in his new farms. As for the serfs owned by the large landowners, if they were not freed, they would have to face the crushing wheel of history.

As for the agricultural labor force lost due to abolition, it could be completely compensated by promoting new farming tools. Machinery and equipment that were useless on narrow lands could be effectively used in new large farms.

Paul planned to manufacture agricultural machinery such as the Rotherham plow, Crosskills clod crusher, serrated harrows, seed drills, reapers, threshing machines, and more. These could all be manufactured under current technological conditions and operated merely by animal power, being the key tools in Britains 18th-century agricultural revolution.

Another method to increase land yield was the four-field crop rotation system, which involved dividing all arable land into four parts. Each part would be planted with turnips, barley, clover, and wheat, respectively, and rotated annually.

This system eliminated fallow land, and the cultivated land after harvest was not used for grazing. Instead, pastures were converted into arable land, expanding the area for crop cultivation. It involved planting leguminous pasture and applying livestock manure, which accelerated the restoration and improvement of soil fertility. This not only facilitated a steady increase in crop yield but also ensured the long-term and rational use of arable land and provided quality feed for livestock. It encouraged the transition from grazing to stall feeding in livestock farming, which improved the production level of animal husbandry.

Then there was the cultivation of improved crop varieties, but this was an area Paul was not very knowledgeable about. He could only wait to recruit relevant agricultural experts to implement this aspect.

Paul firmly believed that through the above series of reforms, the agricultural output of Alda territory would see a significant improvement. This would free and support more labor, paving the way for future industrialization.