Sonny's estate is located south of Winter Springs.
A simple wooden fence encloses a large area of land, but the inside is basically farmland and pastures, and there are no luxurious buildings.
After entering the manor, Harrison and Judy clamored to ride horses. Bachelor Sonny asked his son Hans to take the two of them to the racetrack. Colin and Vera came to a field under the leadership of Bachelor Sonny.
"Brother Sonny, all these farmers grow sweet potatoes?" Colin asked in surprise.
Even if he is not proficient in farming, Colin also knows that the staple foods in this world are barley and wheat, and some rice. Although people know that sweet potatoes can also be eaten, they are not considered mainstream foods.
"That's right, Lord Viscount, the main crop grown on my farm is sweet potatoes." Bachelor Sonny patiently explained,
"You may not know that sweet potatoes have many advantages. If you plant 100 pounds of sweet potatoes on an acre of land, you can harvest 6,000 pounds next year! Its output is one to sixty, and barley is one Compared with twenty, this is already three times the gap in yield per mu!
In addition, sweet potatoes grow underground, and their fruits will not be pecked by birds. But in an ordinary wheat field, no matter how closely the farmers guard it, 10 to 20 percent of the wheat will be ruined by birds every year.
And these sweet potatoes do not need care, farmers only need to water and fertilize regularly. "
"The yield of sweet potatoes is so high!" Vera said in surprise, her eyes widened.
Now that she has become the Duke of the Northern Territory, Vera naturally began to worry about the Northern Territory, and the biggest crisis in the Northern Territory at present is the food problem.
So after hearing that the yield per mu of sweet potatoes is so high, Vera immediately fell in love.
Although she also knew that the taste of sweet potatoes is definitely not as good as bread, but for the common people in the famine, as long as they can fill their stomachs, they don't care about the taste at all.
However, Ke Lin was not so excited. Of course he had heard that the yield of sweet potatoes is higher than that of wheat, but even on earth, sweet potatoes have not been able to replace rice and wheat as the staple food, so there must be some problems in this part. .
"Bachelor Sonny, don't sweet potatoes have any shortcomings?" Colin asked calmly.
"Of course." Bachelor Sonny nodded, and said frankly, "Sweet potatoes are slightly toxic, and they are not suitable for human consumption for a long time. fertilizer.
However, these shortcomings of sweet potatoes are nothing compared to its advantages of high yield and labor-saving.
Especially with the current situation in the north, as long as the cultivation of sweet potatoes is promoted, the famine will definitely be brought under control in the shortest possible time! "
Vera's pretty face was blushing with excitement, as if she already felt that promoting sweet potatoes in the northern border was a very feasible measure.
But when she saw Colin who was frowning tightly, she gradually calmed down, and realized that there might be some problems that she hadn't noticed.
Seeing this, Bachelor Sonny did not continue to explain, but said: "My lord, my lord, I will take you to a place."
Willa and Colin followed Maester Sonny and continued on, and they came to a large shed within a short time.
Before they got close, Colin heard the whining of wild boars coming from the shed.
"Please forgive me, the two distinguished guests, the smell is a bit strong." Bachelor Sonny reminded carefully.
Sure enough, a burst of unspeakable stench rushed over, almost fainting Vera and Ke Linxun.
Fortunately, they are not pampered people, so they came to the shed enduring the stench.
"Are you raising wild boars?" Colin was even more surprised.
The meat in this world is mainly cattle and sheep. Because of the smell of pork, and because of the poor habits of pigs, the hygienic condition is completely incomparable with that of cattle and sheep. Therefore, pork is generally only eaten by commoners. Dirty animals.
However, Ke Lin from Huaxia has long been used to pork. After traveling through this world, he still regrets that he will never be able to eat braised pork and other delicacies from his previous life.
Although he didn't know it specifically, Colin also knows that wild boars are not even specially domesticated in this world. After all, the nobles don't eat them, and ordinary civilians don't have extra food to feed pigs. At most, they want to eat meat. When the time comes, go to the wild to hunt some wild boars and improve your food.
But now, the former Minister of Agriculture of the Empire has started to consciously raise wild boars in captivity, which made Colin give him a high look.
"Yes, Lord Viscount." Bachelor Sonny nodded, "Wild boars are not as valuable as cattle and sheep, but they are very easy to feed and can eat almost anything.
For example, the sweet potato leaves you saw in the sweet potato fields can be used to feed pigs.
Raising a wild boar can produce about 500 pounds of meat a year, and a sheep can provide at most about 100 pounds of mutton. As for cattle, it takes three years to slaughter, but it can only provide about 1,000 pounds of meat. meat.
You said, is it cost-effective to raise pigs? "
Before Ke Lin could speak, Vera shook her head and said, "However, nobles would not eat such lowly animals, could it be that you want to sell pork to commoners
Sonny, with all due respect, the common people probably won't buy your pork either, after all wild boars are everywhere, they would rather go hunting themselves or buy it from hunters at a low price.
Moreover, although cattle and sheep do not produce much meat, cowhide, tendon, sheepskin, and wool are all very valuable and have many uses, not to mention that cattle and sheep also produce milk. As for the wild boar, its only advantage seems to be that it produces more meat However, pork is dry and has a fishy smell, not to mention nobles, even commoners are unwilling to eat it for a long time. "
"Who says nobles can't accept pork?" Bachelor Sonny argued, "If you want, please allow me to prepare you a lunch with pork as the main ingredient. I believe you will be very surprised to find that you Maybe I missed a delicacy!"
Vera wanted to say that she had tasted the wild boar, but the taste was not good, but Colin nodded and agreed with Sonny's suggestion: "Okay, then I will trouble you!"
Bachelor Sonny immediately invited excitedly: "Two distinguished guests please come with me!"
It was still early for lunch, but in order to recommend his farming and animal husbandry system to Willa and Colin, Maester Sonny went to the kitchen in person and urged the chefs to prepare a pork feast.
Not long after, the attendants brought lunch to the table.
Vera twitched her nostrils a few times, and found that instead of the expected fishy smell, it exuded a seductive aroma.
"My lord, my lord, please look! This is fried pork chops with lemon, charcoal-grilled pork knuckle, smoked back pork, mashed potatoes and red wine, please taste."
Vera was still a little hesitant, but Colin had already cut a piece of pork chop and imported it.
It was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, mellow and delicious. It didn't have the expected dryness and stench at all. Colin's eyes lit up, and he seemed to understand something, and asked, "Scholar Sonny, the wild boar you raise in captivity has been castrated, right?"
Bachelor Sonny was slightly startled, then smiled and said, "My lord Viscount, I admire your profound knowledge! That's right, these wild boars are indeed castrated."
Vera also tasted the pork feast in front of her at this time, and immediately realized that the wild boar meat she ate a long time ago was completely different, so she asked curiously:
"Does castrated wild boar taste better?"
"Yes, Your Excellency Duke!" Bachelor Sonny explained, "After castration, not only will the pork taste better, but the temperament of the wild boar will also become milder, making it more suitable for captivity."
Colin nodded again and again. He also knew that the castrated wild boar would evolve more towards the domestic pig in his impression. It is estimated that in a few more generations, he would be able to see the white and fat domestic pig in this world after being lectured in the previous life up.
Bachelor Sonny explained again: "Your Excellency, the planting of sweet potatoes and captive wild boars I admire is actually a new farming system that relies on each other and promotes each other!
Sweet potato leaves can be used to feed wild boars, and the manure of wild boars is a very good fertilizer, which can solve the problem of sweet potatoes destroying soil fertility. The two depend on each other.
The output of this new farming and animal husbandry system will definitely surprise you, and it can even completely change the diet structure of the common people in the entire empire, and even change their health status!
You may look down on these wild boars, but please don't forget, for common people, meat is such a luxury. If you can make them eat pork as part of their daily diet, then I can guarantee that the people under your rule will definitely He is the strongest leader in the entire empire!
Your army will also get the best soldiers! "
The more Maester Sonny talked, the more excited he became. It was a kind of glory and fanaticism that can only be produced by transforming the world in his own way.
After tasting Bachelor Sonny's pork feast, Vera also began to realize that as time goes by, even nobles will gradually accept this new style of pork. Makes an excellent complementary meat.
And for common people, this kind of pork is simply a godsend!
Because cattle and sheep do not produce much meat, the price is extremely high. Few common people can eat beef and mutton in their daily diet, but pork is different. If you really follow the method of Bachelor Sonny to promote his new farming and animal husbandry system , it is really possible to enrich the table of common people.
Thinking of this, Vera couldn't help feeling emotional. She subconsciously went to see Ke Lin, but saw that her husband frowned instead.
Colin put down the knife and fork, wiped his mouth with a napkin, looked solemnly at Maester Sonny, and asked in a deep voice:
"Bachelor Sonny, it's time for you to tell us the truth. If your new farming and animal husbandry system is really so perfect, why was it met with strong resistance in Yulong City?"
(end of this chapter)