In the main hall of the General's Office in Dushikou Fort City, Zhang Cheng had just appointed Jin Yong as the chief general and Chen Zhong as the deputy general to send troops to exterminate the Muzhajian bandits. Zhao Shihu, Zhang Guangda, Chen Zheng and others did not know what Zhang Cheng's intention was, but they
I didn't dare to ask it in public, so I had to give it up for now.
Here, Zhang Cheng was drinking tea, his eyes stopped at Ma Zhongli and Feng Yuanshan, and asked in a deep voice: "Ma Zhongli, what is the current situation of grazing horses, cattle and sheep on our North Road?"
Ma Zhongli was still very cautious. He leaned over, swallowed again, and then replied: "Reporting to the Admiral, there are quite a lot of woodlands and pastures on the North Road, but the land is somewhat scattered.
So far, a total of 26 pastures have been built, of which only four are suitable for grazing horses, and the rest are for grazing cattle and sheep. Today, there are 478 horses, 316 cattle, and sheep.
One thousand eight hundred and ninety-seven."
Zhang Cheng nodded and said: "Ma Zhongli, for the matter of raising cattle and sheep, you can choose suitable people and entrust them to the owners of the ranches. You have to concentrate on the affairs of the horse farm. The breeding and raising of military horses are the most important."
Your main responsibility lies.
Nowadays, if the cattle in various pastures are mature, you must deliver them to Feng Yuanshan in time. His land reclamation is exactly what is needed to prepare for farming. Horses and mules are mostly used by the military, but they can no longer be used for farming.
Also, how prepared are you for herding camels?"
…………
In fact, among the frontier armies in the northwest of the Ming Dynasty, camels were commonly used to carry military supplies. They were extremely tolerant of hunger and thirst, and could survive for half a month without water and up to a month without food.
.
The camels used by the Ming Dynasty's northwest frontier army were basically Bactrian camels. Their raising costs were extremely low, and they could be used for riding, transporting, pulling carts, plowing, etc.
Camels can still carry on transportation in harsh climates and insufficient water and grass supplies. Their load-bearing capacity is greater than that of mules and horses. During short-distance transportation, they can carry nearly three thousand kilograms and travel up to fifty or sixty miles a day.
Even during long-distance marches, camels can carry more than two thousand kilograms of cargo and cover more than eighty miles a day. If they are marching in a hurry, their top speed can reach more than sixty miles in an hour.
Moreover, camels mature very early, reaching maturity at the age of four to five, and their life span can reach thirty-five to forty years.
At the same time, camels shed more than ten kilograms of fur each year. Its structure is similar to cashmere. After being collected and processed, it can also be used for spinning or knitting.
There is also camel milk that can be eaten, and camel meat can also be eaten. Its military value is higher than that of mules and horses, and its civilian value is also not low.
…………
When Ma Zhongli saw Zhang Cheng asking about the camel herding, he couldn't help but look embarrassed. He said: "Reporting to the Admiral, these camels are not only used by many armies in Xuanzhen, but are also raised by people in the capital, thinking that they are used for transportation or farming."
use.
But whether it's the capital or here in Xuan Town, breeders are easy to find, but breeders are hard to find. And this camel only gives birth once every two years, and its gestation period alone is as long as a year.
Moreover, this female camel only gives birth to one cub per litter, and rarely has two cubs in one litter. It is indeed not easy to reproduce!"
Zhang Cheng was also a little confused. In his previous life, he only knew that camels were mostly used for tourists to take photos in various scenic spots. Camels, mules and horses were no longer used for transportation, except in places with extremely difficult and harsh conditions.
Regarding the breeding of camels, there are many opinions. This is the first time Zhang Cheng has heard about it. After thinking about it, he said: "Let's choose some experienced people here to try to breed them first, and then I will arrange some caravans to
Hire people from the northwest and beyond the Great Wall who know this way."
When he said this, he felt as if he had forgotten something. He lowered his head and thought for a while, and then asked again: "Ma Zhongli, is there a regulation for raising livestock and poultry? How is it handled now?"
"Reporting to the Admiral, chickens and pigs are raised together. If they are raised too much, they are prone to plague. And ducks and geese have to find a place with water sources to breed them. Now they are scattered by military households in each fort in their own courtyards.
Autotrophic."
Zhang Cheng nodded. He knew that what Ma Zhongli said was true. In this era, there was no concept of hygiene and no veterinary medicine. If livestock and poultry got sick, it was not a trivial matter.
Even in later generations, airplanes are flying into the sky, and the development of science and technology is not underdeveloped. If you encounter chicken fever or swine fever, you still have to massacre and bury them deeply.
He immediately said: "Ma Zhongli, you can find some careful military households to raise a group of chickens and pigs in a fixed forest land. As long as the chicken coops are cleaned regularly, the feces in the pig house should be fine. You first
Give it a try.”
After Zhang Cheng finished speaking, without waiting for Ma Zhongli's agreement, he turned to Feng Yuanshan and said, "Feng Yuanshan, are you doing well in reclaiming wasteland and preparing for farming?"
"Reporting to the Admiral, the work of clearing up wasteland on the North Road is going quite smoothly. Since you left the town on the North Road in early May, a total of 785 hectares and 77 acres of wasteland have been cleared between various castles, and hundreds of canals have been repaired.
Yuli,
In addition, the military settlements were inspected, and more than 200 hectares of military fields were cleared. Although the yield of this newly opened wasteland is not high, it can roughly harvest more than 40,000 shi of wheat. In addition to the more than 200 hectares cleared,
If the fields are ripe, the income will be increased by about 60,000 dan in the coming year."
In the Ming Dynasty, one hectare was roughly equivalent to one hundred acres. These 785 hectares and 77 acres of newly opened wasteland were equal to 78,577 acres of farmland. Adding this to the original land, it could feed 10,000 people.
Sergeant, you can poke more than enough.
Zhang Cheng was quite happy about this, and he encouraged him: "Yes, Feng Yuanshan, this matter of reclamation and cultivation is of great importance, so we must not neglect it at all. Now the reclamation and canal construction on Shangbei Road is nearing completion.
You can lead the reclamation team to Xiabei Road, where Mr. Jin and Mr. Yan are currently inspecting military households and farmland, and approving the number of troops stationed in each fort. This matter of reclaiming wasteland and building canals cannot be delayed.
In addition, how well have all the preparations for farming been done? I know, no matter how good the crops are, they will not grow without fertilizer, but they are all fueled by fertilizers."
"What the Admiral said is true. This kind of crop is not a job for lazy people. There is no time to rest all year round. Nowadays, small forts have been built around our newly opened acres. About every three households are planting
The fields of about a hundred acres share an earthen pond for fertilization.
These are made of plant ash, mixed with bird, animal, fish bones and other remains, added with human and animal excrement, then added with green grass, covered with soil and retting. Nowadays, special personnel are sent to drive dung trucks to various pastures to collect livestock excrement.
But it is difficult to collect the excrement in Chubu City."
Zhang Cheng asked with confusion on his face: "Why is this?"
Feng Yuanshan also had a nervous look on his face, as if he had something to hide. He was seen shaking his body back and forth in his chair, and his face was flushed with pain.