Things are different now.

As long as the world is unified, although the mountains and roads will still have to be dug, the holes will be drilled.

Naturally, it was impossible for Feng Duhu to tell Zhao Guang all about these grand plans and ambitions.

He just said:

"If anyone in the association really wants to grow cotton, you can just bring it up. There is plenty of land in Liangzhou, and the association can provide cotton seeds."

Now in Liangzhou, they only complain that there are too many barbarians and too few Han people. They only complain that there are too many lands and too few people.

If anyone is willing to make a contribution, Feng Duhu welcomes it.

Zhao Guang touched his head and seemed a little embarrassed:

"The little brother is just talking casually. Since the elder brother has already planned it, it must be reasonable. The little brother can just follow the elder brother."

"Back then, my elder brother didn't have much power, but he could still lead his brothers to make a fortune. Now, my elder brother is the head of the Han Dynasty's officials. Who in the meeting dares to question my elder brother's vision?"

Those who dared to violate the rules were almost killed in the great purges of the year before last and the year before last.

Feng Duhu said "tsk".

He said this as if he were a great dictator.

I want to explain, but think about it, what explanation can I give to this guy?

With his IQ, he wouldn't be able to understand even if he said it.

It’s impossible to say, but it will become darker and darker.

The two brothers were talking when they saw a woman walking towards them in the field.

The woman came to the two men and bowed to Feng Du: "I have met the king."

Feng Duhu nodded and signaled: "Get up."

"Thank you, Lord."

"Mr. Li Xu, how is this land? Is it suitable for growing cotton?"

The woman was the third wife of the Xu family who was married to Li Mu's younger brother Li Tong.

Over the years, she has been a planting expert at Xinghan Hui.

Over the years, Xinghanhui has never had to worry about food, and Li Xu's contribution is indispensable.

Her husband, Li Tong, is a breeding expert of the Xinghan Society, and he can be said to be a husband and a wife.

Over in Liangzhou, Li Xu has been responsible for the cotton planting experiments on the farm under the name of Xinghan Hui in recent years.

At this time, Mrs. Li Xu heard Feng Duhu ask, nodded and replied:

"It's okay to go back to the king."

But she hesitated for a moment and then reminded:

"However, although the land in Guanzhong is fertile, cotton requires a lot of water and fertilizer. This land is on the edge of the Wei River. Although there is no shortage of water, it is best to apply sufficient base fertilizer before planting."

"You must apply fertilizer at least once before and after flower buds. Otherwise, if there is insufficient fertility, the cotton plants will be short and the cotton yield will be insufficient."

Feng Duhu nodded:

"It's just fertilizer for thirty acres of land. You don't have to worry. You have to take care of this matter. Plant as well as you can."

After receiving Feng Duhu's assurance, Mrs. Li Xu felt relieved: "I understand."

Feng Duhu looked at the land and raised the corner of his mouth slightly.

Why did he want the cotton demonstration field to be placed here?

Because anyone who enters or exits Qiao and Tong Pass from the west or east must pass through it.

In other words, whether you are coming to Chang'an from the east or leaving Chang'an to go to the east, you must pass through Baqiao.

Since you come from the east, you can’t miss cotton as white as snow, right?

Zhao Guang on the side was a little stunned when he heard this:

"Does this cotton still need so much fertilizer?"

Back when my brother was improving farming methods in Jincheng, one of the most important things was to apply more fertilizer.

In this case, it can be cultivated for two or three years and then left fallow for one year.

Others, on the other hand, have to cultivate fallow crops year after year.

Even so, the land my brother planted still yielded 20 to 30% more than others.

So even though Zhao Guang doesn't know much about farming, he also knows that cotton's fertilizer requirements are already ridiculously high.

Li Xu said in a serious tone:

"That's right. That's why I have always advised you that unless you can ensure that the Han Dynasty has enough food, it is best not to plant cotton on a large scale."

"Even if it is to be planted, the planting area must be restricted and cannot be allowed to be planted at will by the public."

Grabbing land is still a trivial matter, the key is grabbing fat.

If there is not enough fertilizer in the fields where crops are grown, food production will decrease.

With fertilizer, the fields can be cultivated continuously for three years.

Without fertilizer, fields can only be cultivated in rotation, with one year of planting and one year of rest.

This production reduction is not just a little bit, but a 30% to 40% reduction is the most basic.

Even with the current grain output of Han Dynasty, it is possible to reduce it by 50%.

Feng Duhu smiled and said:

"Don't worry, farming is the foundation of a country. Sufficient food ensures people's peace. How could I not understand this?"

He looked at the field again and sighed slightly:

"So, we still need to vigorously develop and promote poultry and livestock breeding. If every household in the Han Dynasty can have a cow, there will be no need to use fertilizer as carefully as now."

The feces of chickens, ducks, geese and other poultry cannot be used directly, but they can be made into cooked fertilizer through retting.

But poultry is still too small after all.

Cows are different.

When I was a child in my previous life, cattle were not only the main labor force in the family, but also the main force in accumulating family fat.

People will pick up the dirt roads in the village and the excrement dropped by cattle everywhere.

The old people in the village sometimes would even use clods of soil to surround the cow dung in a circle when they didn't have the tools at hand, to indicate that the cow dung had an owner.

Hearing Feng Duhu's words, Zhao Guang didn't feel anything yet, but Li Xu's eyes were filled with admiration:

"The prince has actually done a lot for the people of the world."

"Now the Han people have many pastures where they can rent cattle and horses for the people. And as long as you are willing to work hard, you can have a cow at home."

Over the years, the Xinghan Association has cooperated with the government, with the government as a guarantee, and the cattle and horses leased out from the cattle and horse farm under the name of the Xinghan Association.

Those who are willing to rent cattle and horses will need to pay extra grain to the Xinghan Association and the government.

But it may be three years or five years, as long as a calf and a pony is born during the period, it can be regarded as your own home.

When the calf and pony grow up, won’t the family just have a large livestock?

To put it bluntly, it means using grain to buy calves and ponies in installments.

It can be said that this policy has contributed a lot to the increase in grain production in Han Dynasty in recent years.

Feng Duhu thought more and sighed slightly:

"It would be great if we had struvite. That thing is much stronger than the domestic fertilizer we use now. A sack of struvite may be worth an oxcart of domestic fertilizer."

When Li Xu heard this, his eyes suddenly lit up:

"Is there such a strange thing in the world? May I ask you, where is this struvite produced?"

"It's far away!" Feng Duhu said casually, "If we go out to sea from Jiaozhou, there should be many islands in the southeast."

It's a pity that Jiaozhou is not in the hands of the Han Dynasty.

"Ah? Is that so? You're actually overseas?"

When Li Xu heard this, he immediately looked disappointed:

"A big man doesn't have such a rare thing?"

When Feng Duhu saw her like this, he couldn't bear it and comforted her:

"It can't be said that it doesn't exist at all. For example, in caves in deep mountains, where bats live in groups, it cannot be said that there is such a thing."

"But the number is ultimately too small, and it can't compare to the ones on the island."

Struvite is a kind of guano accumulated by birds and animals. Because there are bats living in the cave, their excrement and corpses are mixed on the ground. Over the years, some struvite will also be formed.

However, the main place of production still depends on the islands.
To be continued...