To the northwest of Qingzhou Fucheng, Qilizhuang.
This village had no name before sweet potatoes were planted, and the locals called it Beizhuang. Since Du Feng and Zhang Lei led people to try planting sweet potatoes here, the shogunate adopted the name of the Ministry of Agriculture and named it Qilizhuang in order to facilitate communication.
After Liu Yan heard this, he smiled and said to Miao Shao: "Qilizhuang? Is there a flower called Qilixiang in the village?"
Miao Shao was immediately stunned when asked.
It was extremely hot in the fields in early June. Zhang Lei and Du Feng were sweating like rain. They led a group of officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and people from Qilizhuang to work in the fields. They were all shirtless and harvesting in the fields.
"Haha, Consultant Du, these sweet potatoes are really high-yielding. If you plant dozens of seedlings, you can harvest so many sweet potatoes!"
Du Feng said with a smile: "This is nothing. Those dozens of seedlings have not even been planted on an acre of land. I estimate that the harvest this time is only about a thousand kilograms."
"There are so many!"
Zhang Lei laughed and said: "A few dozen seedlings can produce more than a thousand kilograms. This is unheard of. If wheat and rice could also have such a yield, the world would really be peaceful."
Du Feng said: "How can wheat and rice be so high-yielding? I saw this sweet potato when I was in Manila. If you plant about one acre of sweet potato, as long as there is enough fertilizer and water, there will be no diseases and insect pests, and there will be three kinds of sweet potatoes during harvest. The output is more than a thousand kilograms!”
Zhang Lei looked at Du Feng with excitement and said, "Okay! This is good, great!"
Zhang Lei said three good words in a row, and his heart was full of hope. He wished he could promote sweet potatoes to the whole of Shandong, and even the whole world.
go.
Everyone around them smiled when they heard this. The busy and hard work during this period was finally in vain. The trial planting of sweet potatoes was a good start and a success!
"Minister, Advisor Du, look, the governor is here!"
Zhang Lei and Du Feng hurriedly raised their heads and looked around, and saw a large group of cavalry rushing into Qili Village from the official road in the north. The leader was Liu Yan, who was wearing civilian clothes. Everyone quickly rode their horses to the field and dismounted one after another.
As early as half a month ago, Zhang Lei and Du Feng discussed that the sweet potatoes were about to be harvested, so they sent someone to report the matter to Liu Yan.
Liu Yan walked into the field with a smile and looked at the sweet potatoes that had been piled up. It was really happy to see so many sweet potatoes in this era. I really missed the aroma of roasted sweet potatoes.
"Meet the governor!"
Zhang Lei, Du Feng and others saluted one after another, and all the employed farmers in Qilizhuang knelt down. Seeing the face of the Shandong Governor, these honest farmers were already trembling with fear.
Liu Yan smiled and said: "Haha, everyone has worked hard, please get up, no need to be polite."
Then Liu Yan picked up a sweet potato and looked at it. It was different from the sweet potatoes that had been continuously optimized and cultivated in later generations. It was smaller and more bumpy. He didn't know how it tasted, whether it was as sweet and delicious as later sweet potatoes.
But this is no longer important, because these sweet potatoes, also known as sweet potatoes, are originally for filling their stomachs, so that the people will not starve to death, and are used to fight famine. As for the taste, Liu Yan does not consider it at all.
"Have you harvested everything?"
Zhang Lei wiped his sweat, and ignored the heat at this time. He hurriedly put on his clothes and said, "It's almost done to report to the governor. It's only a total of
Less than an acre of land has been harvested. "
Du Feng on the side also quickly put on his clothes and said: "Master Governor, this is the first time I have planted them, and I have harvested about a thousand kilograms, but it will be fine next time. Cut these sweet potatoes into small pieces and cultivate them." , the seeds can be planted directly, and the seedlings can also be planted. With so many sweet potatoes and seedlings, it is enough to plant more than ten or twenty acres, and the next harvest will be much larger."
However, Liu Yan was also worried and said, "If we continue to plant them round after round like this, will the sweet potatoes degenerate? In other words, will the yield become less and less?"
Du Feng was stunned for a moment, and then said: "It is possible, but there is also a way to solve it, and that is to cultivate better seeds."
"Is there any specific solution?"
Du Feng said: "Yes, when I was in Manila, I asked local sweet potato farmers for advice. Specifically, there are two ways."
"The first method is called the vine potato cellar seedling cultivation method, which is to store the sweet potato vines harvested that year in the cellar. Sufficient water and temperature must be ensured so that the sweet potato vines will not wither and even continue to grow in the cellar. Wait until the second time During the new year, take out the sweet potato vines from the cellar and take cuttings to cultivate young seedlings."
"The second method is called the potato root seedling method, which is to build a humid and warm house in winter, transplant the potato roots into the house, and then take them out and plant them directly in the next spring."
“Of course, both methods have a prerequisite, that is, the sweet potatoes and vine seedlings used must be selected from the best, and the sweet potato vines must be grafted every two years to avoid the disadvantage of increasingly low yields. "
Liu
Yan was very surprised after hearing this, because in his impression, Manila is tropical, right? Is there winter there too? Why is the second method specifically for cultivating sweet potatoes in winter?
After listening to Liu Yan's inquiry, Du Feng said: "When I heard the local farmer talk about it, I was also very surprised. After all, Manila is hot and humid all year round, and there is basically no time when it is too cold. The farmer said that second I learned this method from the Folangji people, but I don’t know the other methods.”
Liu Yan nodded and said to himself: "It's no wonder. Those Spaniards must have planted sweet potatoes in their own country. It seems that the winter in Spain is also very cold."
Then Zhang Lei also picked up a sweet potato and said with a smile: "Master Governor, is this delicious? What does it taste like?"
Liu Yan couldn't guarantee whether the sweet potatoes at this time would be the same as those in later generations, so he smiled and said, "I have to ask Advisor Du."
Du Feng said: "If these sweet potatoes are eaten raw, they will be very crispy, a little sweet, but not very juicy. If they are roasted or steamed, they will be very soft, glutinous, sweet and rich."
Zhang Lei had been working for a long time. When he heard what Du Feng said, he couldn't help but feel a little greedy. He said with a smile: "These sweet potatoes are so precious. They must be kept well. They can be planted again this year. But they can't taste them. It's really bad." Pity."
Liu Yan smiled and said: "Then give it a try!"
Everyone was surprised. Although the sweet potatoes weighed more than a thousand kilograms, and together with the seedlings, they could be planted for more than ten or twenty acres, but this amount was still a drop in the bucket for the victims of the entire Shandong Province. Therefore, every sweet potato and every seedling is very precious. No one expected that Liu Yan would be so easy to talk to.
Liu
Yan picked through a pile of sweet potatoes and found four sweet potatoes that were not very developed and not too plump. He said to everyone: "Come on, let's bake these and taste them!"
Everyone was overjoyed. Zhang Lei went to fetch water to wash the sweet potatoes, Du Feng found a place to dig a pit for a stove, and Miao Shao went to find firewood.
Soon the others were ready. Liu Yan took out the fire sticks, lit the fire, and threw four sweet potatoes directly into the fire.
The surrounding farmers, officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, and the guards gathered around. Everyone had never seen roasted sweet potatoes before, so they didn't know what they tasted like, and they were looking forward to it.
Soon, a rich and sweet smell spread out, and everyone looked surprised when they sniffed it. Du Feng said with a smile: "Yes, that's the smell. I can't believe that our country is tens of thousands of miles away from Manila." Haruka, you can also eat roasted sweet potatoes again!”
Liu Yan saw that the fire was almost done, so he asked Miao Shao to put out the fire, then took out four sweet potatoes and peeled them off, revealing the chestnut-like "sweet potato flesh" inside.
"Come on, let's share some for everyone, just taste it."
After saying that, Liu Yan broke off a small piece while it was still hot. Everyone quickly divided the four sweet potatoes. The dozen or so people in the front all got a small piece, but the people behind him only smelled the fragrance. There is simply not enough sweet potato to share with everyone.
Liu Yan looked at everyone's regretful expressions and said with a smile: "Don't worry, I estimate that by next year, at least in the Qingzhou Prefecture area, sweet potatoes can be planted on a large scale, and everyone will be able to eat them."
Zhang Lei said with unfinished meaning: "Haha, these sweet potatoes are really delicious. The governor has seen a lot of people, and the counselor Du is brave."
Knowing people, it’s all thanks to the entrusting minister and Counselor Du that we can eat sweet potatoes! "
Du Feng suddenly blushed and smiled, not knowing what to say.
Liu Yanze said: "This governor is not the first person to introduce sweet potatoes. In fact, during the Wanli Dynasty, some people had already started planting sweet potatoes in Fujian. But now that the world is in chaos, these sweet potatoes have also been silenced and left in various places. I guess Even if there are still people planting in other places, they are only sporadic and cannot be promoted at all.”
Du Feng said: "The governor is right, these potatoes are good. After we harvest this time, we will promote planting, and life will be better next year. In two or three years, we will fully promote it in all prefectures in Shandong. Even if there is drought or famine, we in Shandong will not be afraid!"
"yes,"
After hearing Du Feng's words, Liu Yan couldn't help but sigh: "Only when you have food in your hands can you not panic!"
Then Liu Yan said to Zhang Lei: "Store these sweet potatoes and seedlings properly and don't let anyone steal them. In addition, you can discuss with Advisor Du to plant another crop as soon as possible and try to have another harvest this year."
"yes."
Zhang Lei said: "My lord, my subordinates are planning to build a cellar in Qingzhou City. After the second harvest, all the sweet potatoes and seedlings will be stored and supervised by dedicated personnel."
Liu Yan nodded and said: "Okay, the Ministry of Agriculture will work out the specific matters."
"Governor, please go to the city and take a rest. I will be staying in Qingzhou Fucheng during this period. It is the Central Battalion General Shen Tuo who just led his troops to Jinan Fucheng some time ago. Otherwise, I can still let Shen Shen treat me tonight. , the subordinates and governors ate his meal."
"Ha ha,
Let's forget it. Shen Tuo's military salary is all saved for marrying a wife. The governor should find someone else to make love. "
"The governor won't return to Jinan Fucheng?"
"Don't come back yet."
Liu Yan said: "This time the governor will visit various places to see the implementation results of the new policies."
