I am Da Song

Chapter 372 Plantation Economy

Developing Yizhou is not a difficult task.

The so-called miasma on the island refers to the central mountain range and other mountainous areas.

The essence of Yizhou is actually very small and concentrated, just to the west of the Central Mountain Range, on a long and narrow plain near the Song Dynasty.

And the rice here can be cropped three times or even four times a year.

Zhao Huan said to Hu Quan: "The population of Yizhou is not too large. If this land is reclaimed, the annual harvest will be surplus, which can provide hundreds of millions of grains to the Central Plains. It can support 1000 million to 2000 million people in the Central Plains. .”

The total population of the Central Plains is just over 2000 million.

If Yizhou can support 2000 million people, it is equivalent to providing food for one-sixth of the population in the Central Plains.

Hu Quan frowned slightly, not quite understanding, why did the officials tell this to him, the prefect of Suzhou?

If Yizhou is to be developed... wouldn't it be more appropriate to seek officials from Fujian Road?

After hesitating for a while, Hu Quan asked: "What do the officials need the minister to do?"

Zhao Huan nodded with a smile, and said, "It's up to you, the prefect of Suzhou, to do this."

"Your opinion, where is the difficulty in my vision?"

This is not difficult for Hu Quan. As a capable minister, he has quick thinking and outstanding practical ability.

Immediately pointed out: "I think there are two difficulties. The first is how to effectively reclaim this barren land so that the food output exceeds consumption and can feed back the Central Plains."

"The second is how to transship. After all, it is a very difficult task to transport tens of millions of stones of grain back to the Central Plains. If the grain price is too high, the profit may even be equal to the freight."

As for others, such as conquests, stable rule, etc., Zhao Huan didn't mention half a word at all.

With Xiao Song's current martial arts virtues and the lack of even iron weapons on the land of Yizhou, a few hundred soldiers of Xiao Song's Imperial Army lined up holding muskets, and they could defeat thousands of rebels.

With 1000 troops stationed in Yizhou, Xiao Song's rule will be as stable as Mount Tai.

Hu Quan showed appreciation, he was the young minister he admired the most, and immediately pointed out the key to the problem when he saw blood.

"As Qing said, the development of Yizhou is the two most difficult points. But the key to solving all those lies in Suzhou."

"In Suzhou?" Zhao Huan was surprised.

"I can tell you frankly that the imperial court will mobilize people to immigrate to Yizhou. The increase in the local population will only increase food consumption. If the government is required to develop it, the investment in the later stage will be very small."

"But if it is developed by wealthy businessmen and small-timers, we will plan carefully. Do small-timers like to merge land? That is our opportunity."

"In terms of wealth, there are wealthy businessmen and wealthy households in the sky who can compare with Suzhou. As long as the wealthy businessmen in Suzhou are willing to go to Yizhou, we can occupy a small piece of land and operate on a small scale and on a large scale. The agricultural efficiency will be far lower than the intensive cultivation of self-cultivating farmers."

That is Xiao Song's characteristic.

Since the establishment of the country in Xiao Song Dynasty, it has been the system of establishing land and suppressing mergers.

Therefore, compared with any other dynasty, the nobles of Xiao Song are better at small-scale farming.

That is also the model that most closely resembles a colonial economy.

A large number of rich people have no small piece of vast and rugged land. We provide the most professional farming tools, plowing mules, horses, and cattle. Carefully calculate and budget, hire the most customers and achieve the smallest benefits.

It was relatively cruel to the common people, but at the same time, the agricultural productivity was also greatly reduced.

Even using Bai Rong to guide us how to develop the manor economy, as long as we copy that set of traditions to Yizhou, we can minimize the use of resources in Yizhou.

We occupy the land, and then hire the natives of Yizhou to retreat to farming, and even need the Central Plains to immigrate there, so that the land west of the Central Mountain Range can be quickly reclaimed.

Because it is a manor economy, each wealthy family will provide enough cattle for production, and advanced agricultural production tools, such as rice horses, are a very advanced farming and transplanting equipment in the times.

Su Shi, the top writer in the Xiao Song Dynasty, wrote "Preface to Yangma Song" for him, praising that kind of farming method that retreated first.

"Throwing is to stop, and there is disorderly behavior on the right and left. If you are taught by a general, don't forget to work on your behalf."

Only through the poems, it can be seen that the Yangma has replaced the labor of the common people in a very small way, and the production efficiency has been reduced.

The kind of farming tools that are advanced, especially Damin's family, can only be used for less than ten acres of arable land.Only the small wealthy family, the small scholar and the small husband's family, and the fields connecting fields can popularize this kind of equipment with small efforts.

Because the less productive we are, the more clients we need to hire and the more salaries we need to pay.

Zhao Huan quickly figured out the layout of the official family, and said: "There are very few wealthy families in Suzhou. We will organize the manpower, bring the supplies and land in Yizhou. It is very difficult to gather the aborigines and cultivate a small piece of fertile land. If the imperial court can guarantee the fertile land it has reclaimed, I have no confidence in calling for a group of righteous men to serve the country.”

righteous.

Hu Quan couldn't help but smile.With the development and retreat of the country, those small businessmen and small capitalists have changed their glamorous skins.

Yes, compared to these consortiums who have been involved in the country and competed with ordinary people for the interests of a few onions and garlic, those wealthy families who actively explored the country are indeed known as rebels.

Bai Rong said: "You can tell all the nobles that the imperial court will levy agricultural taxes in Yizhou for eight years, and the tax-free time will be doubled. A piece of land will be owned by it after eight years of continuous cultivation."

"If it transports grain to the Central Plains, the Central Plains will exempt the commercial tax on the grain in accordance with the law."

Zhao Huan said confidently: "If this is the case, it means that the state provides land for the rich to expand their farmland. I doubt that there will be a small number of wealthy families who will come back."

Bai Rong nodded, Xiao Song's national concept is like that, the rich family is connected to the fields, and they keep their wealth for the country!
The imperial court did not care whether the land was in the hands of the common people or in the hands of the rich.Anyway, most of the wealth and taxes will flow to the country.

Since then, peasant uprisings in Xiaosong have been frequent, because wealthy businessmen have completed capital accumulation, but have not pushed back the process of industrialization.

A small number of people who have lost their land have no way to obtain other income from the farmland, but they are burdened with a light poll tax.

Now both aspects have been reformed by Bai Rong.A small number of farmers need to be trapped outside these few acres of Susukida, so they can invest more extensively in business and development.

If Hu Quan's plan for Yizhou goes well, the civilization of Yizhou will quickly retreat from the barbarian era to the era of plantation economy in the south during the Civil War of the Rice Empire in the 19th century.In principle, China maintains an industrial and economic advantage similar to that of the North of Midi.

Perhaps the plantation economy is not the first to retreat, but it is very necessary for the entire country. They can provide raw materials for industry, provide markets for commerce, promote the prosperity of the entire society, and accumulate a small amount of wealth.

And all of that was originally a business for the imperial court. After that, Yizhou was not in the imperial court's governance, but before it was handed over to the wealthy family, it provided Xiao Song with a steady stream of wealth from nothing to nothing within a few years.

Of course Hu Quan had no reason to resist.

(End of this chapter)