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Chapter 297 "Essential Techniques for Elevating the People"

In ancient Chinese society, studying and becoming an official was people's greatest pursuit.

As for engaging in scientific and technical research, everyone thinks that it is not a serious job and will always be ridiculed.

This shows how valuable it is for scientists to appear in ancient society.

Speaking of great scientists in ancient China, we have to mention Jia Sixie (xie) during the Northern Wei Dynasty.

Jia Sixie's most important contribution to science is the compilation of "Essentials for Elevating the People", an agricultural encyclopedia with extremely high scientific value.

"Qi Min Yao Shu" is extremely rich in content, reflecting the level of agricultural production technology in the north during the Northern Wei Dynasty, many of which are still in use today.

"Qimin Yaoshu" relatively systematically summarizes the agricultural production technology in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River before the Northern Wei Dynasty.

It initially established an agricultural science system and is the earliest agricultural science work preserved in our country and even in the world.

"Qi Min Yao Shu" contains Jia Sixie's important production theory, which emphasizes the importance of timing, location, and people in agricultural production.

Guaranteeing agricultural production from the three aspects of weather, location, and people is one of the main ideas of farmers during the Warring States Period.

Jia Sixie comprehensively considered the time, location, and people, and highlighted the role of manpower.

This is not only the inheritance of peasant ideas during the Warring States Period, but also has an important impact on agricultural production in later generations.

"Qimin Yaoshu" quotes a large number of ancient agricultural books and miscellaneous works, and refers to the agricultural research results of previous generations.

We extensively collected folk proverbs and songs, interviewed experienced farmers, paid attention to the summary of practical experience, and conducted personal observations and experiments.

"Essentials for Qi Min" comprehensively summarizes agricultural experience and is also the earliest agricultural book in China.

"Jia Sixie was an outstanding agriculturist in ancient China and a native of Shouguang County, Qingzhou, Northern Wei Dynasty."

"Jia Sixie was born into a scholarly family that has been farming for generations. His ancestors loved reading and learning."

"Particular attention was paid to the study and research of agricultural production technical knowledge, which had a great influence on Jia Sixie's life and laid the foundation for his later compilation of "Essentials for Qi Min".

"After reaching adulthood, Jia Sixie embarked on an official career. He once served as the governor of Gaoyang County and other official positions, and traveled to Shandong, Hebei, Henan and other places."

“Everywhere he went, Jia Sixie carefully inspected and studied the local agricultural production technology.”

“I consulted some veteran farmers with rich experience and gained a lot of agricultural production knowledge.”

"After middle age, Jia Sixie returned to his hometown, started farming and animal husbandry activities, and mastered a variety of agricultural production techniques."

"About 533 years of the Northern Wei Dynasty to 544 years of the Eastern Wei Dynasty, Jia Sixie analyzed, organized and summarized, and wrote the masterpiece of agricultural science and technology "Qi Min Yao Shu".

"The book has a total of ten volumes and ninety-two chapters, with more than 110,000 words, and is extremely rich in content, covering agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, sideline production, fishery and other agricultural fields."

"The preface and miscellaneous chapters each have one chapter. The preface is the general outline of the book, and the miscellaneous chapters are considered to be written by later generations."

"The main content of "Essential Techniques for Elevating the People" includes soil farming and crop cultivation and management techniques, horticulture and tree planting techniques, including vegetable and fruit tree cultivation techniques."

"Animal feeding technology and animal husbandry and veterinary medicine, agricultural and sideline product processing and cooking technology, etc."

"The book quotes more than a hundred ancient agricultural books and miscellaneous works, which preserves parts of some lost works and has important historical value."

Li Shimin: Speaking of which, Jia Sixie's "Essentials of Qi Min" is the most complete preserved agricultural book, and its importance to agricultural production is self-evident.

"Qi Min Yao Shu" has a total of ninety-two chapters, divided into ten volumes. At the front of the book are "Automatic Preface" and "Miscellaneous Comments".

The main text is about 70,000 words, and the notes are more than 40,000 words, totaling more than 110,000 words.

There are more than 150 kinds of quotations from previous works and more than 30 farmers' proverbs recorded.

The book introduces the cultivation methods of crops, vegetables and fruit trees, and the production of various economic trees.

Utilization of wild plants, raising of livestock, poultry, fish and silkworms and prevention and control of diseases.

As well as the processing of agricultural, sideline and livestock products, brewing and food processing, as well as the production of stationery, daily necessities, etc., almost all agricultural production activities are discussed in detail.

In addition, there is a preface and a miscellany at the front of the book.

The preface includes extensive excerpts of examples of saints, kings, ministers, wise men and other people who paid attention to agriculture, as well as the remarkable results achieved as a result of paying attention to agriculture.

The book includes methods of agriculture, gardening, afforestation, sericulture, animal husbandry, veterinary medicine, breeding, brewing, cooking, storage, and famine control during the Qin and Han Dynasties.

However, what makes him regretful is that nearly 200 important agricultural books of the Han and Jin Dynasties quoted in "Qi Min Yao Shu" have now been lost.

"According to historical records, Jia Sixie served as the governor of Gaoyang County, Qingzhou, Northern Wei Dynasty."

"Because he lived in a time when the Northern Wei Dynasty was transitioning from economic prosperity and social stability to economic decline, political corruption, social unrest, and frequent wars."

"Jia Sixie deeply feels that restoring the national economy and ensuring people's livelihood are actually necessary to consolidate political power."

"He attaches great importance to the summary of agricultural production technology and experience."

"Since the governor of Gaoyang resigned, Jia Sixie began to devote himself to agricultural research, and his footprints have spread to Henan, Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong and other places today."

"Jia Sixie's outstanding contribution lies in establishing a relatively complete agricultural system."

"The book "Essential Art for Qi Min" has a rigorous structure, from land reclamation to farming."

“From preparation before production to processing, brewing and utilization of agricultural products after production.”

"From planting and forestry to livestock and poultry breeding and aquaculture, the discussion is comprehensive and the context is clear."

"In terms of subject category division, the order in the book is basically based on the proportion and importance of each project in agricultural production and people's lives at that time."

“In terms of raising animals, let’s talk about horses and cattle first, and then describe sheep, pigs, and poultry.”

"Most of the explanations are based on feeding, reproduction, disease treatment, etc., and a certain amount of space is also allocated for aquaculture."

"The agricultural technology content described is focused, clearly prioritized, and detailed."

"In addition, Jia Sixie has also taken animal breeding technology one step forward."

“Essentials of Qi Min Yao Shu” contains six chapters respectively describing raising cattle, horses, donkeys and mules, sheep, pigs, chickens, geese and ducks, and fish.”

"The book has noted that raising livestock and poultry must maintain a reasonable male-female ratio in the group."

"The article on raising sheep states that there should be 10 rams in 2 sheep. If there are too few rams, the ewe will not be able to conceive well."

“If there are too many rams, there will be confusion in the flock.”

"The proportional relationship between male and female has been proposed for raising geese, ducks, chickens, fish, etc."

“鹅一般是3雌1雄，鸭5雌1雄，池中放养雌鲤20尾则配雄鲤4尾。”

"Agricultural products processing, brewing, cooking and storage technology."

"Wine, sauce, vinegar, etc. may have been invented very early, but their production processes are revealed in detail and rigorously, starting with "Qi Min Yao Shu"."

"In the sauce-making method, the sauce made from beans is first described, but the preparation methods of meat sauce, fish sauce, shrimp sauce, etc. are also recorded."

Song Yingxing: "Qi Min Yao Shu" was written during the Eastern Wei Dynasty. Its appearance was not accidental, but was based on a certain historical background and objective conditions.

Before the Northern Wei Dynasty, the north was in a long-term situation of division and separatism.

More than a hundred years later, the Tuoba clan of the Xianbei ethnic group established the Northern Wei Dynasty and gradually unified the northern region.

As a result, the social order gradually stabilized, and the social economy gradually recovered from the repeatedly destructed depression and developed.

A series of social and economic reforms implemented by Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty stimulated the development of agricultural production and promoted social and economic progress.

Despite this, agricultural production at that time had not yet reached a high level and needed further development.

Jia Sixie believed that the level of agricultural science and technology was related to the prosperity of the country, so he came up with the idea of ​​writing an agricultural book.

The ruler's hard work and the prosperity of agricultural production also provided convenient conditions for Jia Sixie to write agricultural books.

During his tenure as an official, Jia Sixie visited many places such as Shandong, Hebei, and Henan.

Everywhere he went, he attached great importance to agricultural production.

Jia Sixie once personally engaged in agricultural production practice, conducted various experiments, raised livestock, and planted grain.

Jia Sixie not only focused on personal practice, but was also good at learning from experienced farmers and absorbing the valuable experiences that working people summed up in their long-term production and life.

"Essentials for Elevating the People" is based on Jia Sixie's summary of the experience of his predecessors and his own production knowledge gained from experienced farmers.

As well as personal practice and experience of agricultural production, careful analysis and summary, and finally completed the great book "Essentials for Elevating the People".

Although Jia Sixie's reputation is not obvious, his admiration for Jia Sixie has not diminished at all. "Jia Sixie also attaches great importance to agricultural production and scientific and technological analysis."

"Although the preface to "Qi Min Yao Shu" states that merchants' affairs are not recorded, it reflects that the author was deeply influenced by the thought of emphasizing agriculture and suppressing business at that time."

"But in the whole book, there are chapters such as growing vegetables and fruits, planting trees, raising fish, brewing, etc."

"But it describes in detail how to conduct diversified operations, how to sell in the market, how to utilize agricultural products at multiple levels and other related economic benefits."

"In planting elms and poplars, the techniques for sowing elms and poplar seedlings are described in detail, and the saplings are cut down every 3 to 5 years to be used as materials for sale."

"In addition to his outstanding contributions, Jia Sixie also has extraordinary insights in agricultural thinking."

"Follow the laws of nature and give full play to your subjective initiative."

"Jia Sixie believes that crop growth is regular."

"Millet matures sooner or later. Early-ripening millet is short and has many fruits."

“Late-ripening millet grows tall and has few fruits.”

"Strong seedlings grow short, as is the case with Huanggu."

"Focus on food and conduct diversified operations."

"Jia Sixie emphasized agriculture, first of all, food production."

"But he does not attribute agricultural production to the production of food, but to diversified operations."

"The "Essentials for Elevating the People" includes food crops, horticultural crops, forest trees, mulberry and silkworm cultivation, animal husbandry, fish farming, and processing of agricultural and sideline products."

"Jia Sixie believes that the processing of agricultural and sideline products is the continuation of agricultural production and a necessary link between production and consumption."

"Processed agricultural and sideline products not only meet consumer needs, but also increase their value."

"The Art of Qi Min Yao includes the preparation of wine, vinegar, sauce, and soybean, as well as methods of processing grains, vegetables, fruits, meat, and fish into shelf-stable foods."

Su Shi: The principles that Jia Sixie summed up while engaged in agricultural science and technology research have almost become the codes followed by subsequent agriculturists.

In addition to carefully absorbing the essence of ancient classics and agricultural books, Jia Sixie collected a large number of peasant proverbs and ballads.

They also pay great attention to examining and gathering the production experience of their contemporaries, and sometimes even experiment on their own.

What is even more rare is that Jia Sixie wrote a book that cited previous classics and did not stick to previous opinions.

Many volumes of "Qimin Yaoshu" contain considerable quotations from previous dynasty documents, setting an example for later generations of agricultural books.

The Western Han Dynasty's "Book of Pan Sheng", a masterpiece of agricultural science, can no longer be found in its entirety.

Its important fragments have been preserved due to excerpts from "Qi Min Yao Shu".

The citation of historical documents can make it easier for readers to see the development context and inheritance relationship of agricultural science and technology.

But at the same time, it also has disadvantages, which may lead to conservatism and affect creativity.

In general, Jia Sixie's sensitivity to and timely summary of new advances in agricultural science and technology at that time are the reasons that cannot be ignored for Jia Sixie's success.

Jia Sixie's "Essentials for Elevating the People" added content of contemporary significance to the treasure of agricultural science.

For example, in terms of selecting improved varieties of crops, the book records 97 varieties of millet, 12 varieties of millet, 4 varieties of beams, 8 varieties of wheat, and 36 varieties of rice.

Jia Sixie’s success is also due to his focus on investigation and field experience.

It can be seen from the content of "Qi Min Yao Shu" that there are not only a wide range of planting technology, but also rich experience in livestock raising.

The description of the processing and brewing of agricultural products and the food of the people in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River at that time is also quite detailed.

Jia Sixie's footprints were not limited to the vicinity of his hometown, but spread throughout Shandong, Henan, Hebei, Shanxi and other extensive areas.

Jia Sixie also quoted folk proverbs to express his opinion. Even if he has the wisdom of the founding emperors like Xia Yu and Shang Tang, it is not as reliable as the knowledge gained from practice.

Without solid and reliable investigations and personal attempts, "Essential Art of Qi Min" would not be as refined and correct as it is, let alone have such a long-lasting impact.

Of course, the reason why "Essentials for Elevating the People" has become a far-reaching work among agricultural science and technology classics is also related to Jia Sixie's broad mind and ambition to help the world and save the people.

Jia Sixie pointed out in "Essentials of Qi Min" that we should learn from the teachings of ancient sages and sages.

Its fundamental purpose is to make people's lives stable and make them rich and educated.

Jia Sixie always spoke highly of the ideas and specific measures put forward by people of past dynasties to promote agriculture.

Jia Sixie's "Essentials for Elevating the People" has a profound influence, and his agricultural production for the common people in the Song Dynasty is the best example.

"Jia Sixie's achievement lies in paying attention to production costs and having economic accounting."

""Essentials for Elevating the People" is to teach farmers to improve agricultural production, but if farmers want to produce, there is a production cost problem."

"Jia Sixie mentioned in the book that he actually taught farmers."

“First, we must arrange production according to market conditions, and secondly, we must have an appropriate scale and reasonable field layout for production.”

"Temporary workers should be used to reduce costs, and cost accounting and profit calculations should be paid attention to."

""Essentials for Elevating the People" lists a large number of examples to teach farmers how to calculate, and even calculates the costs of transportation and sales."

"What's even more rare is that Jia Sixie has unique innovative thinking."

"Jia Sixie has been a prefect and has the official status of a prefect."

"But his research on agriculture is not just about talking or simply writing down other people's experiences on paper."

"He did it himself, experienced it, and then recorded it."

"That is to say, the experience he wrote or summarized has been practiced."

"In order to gain experience in raising sheep, Jia Sixie bought 200 sheep and raised them himself."

"When it comes to farming, Jia Sixie goes to the fields, lives in old farmers' shacks, and humbly seeks advice from old farmers."

"He has unique and insightful insights into how to improve the fertility of the land so that crops can continue to receive sufficient nutrients from the land."

Xu Guangqi: Since its publication, "Essentials for Qi Min" has been valued by all dynasties and can be called an agricultural encyclopedia.

As scientific giants who sympathize with each other, he is well aware of the historical significance of "Essential Art for Qi Min".

First, "Essential Art for Qi Min" spends a lot of space introducing seedling cultivation methods such as vegetable planting, cutting, layering and grafting of fruit trees and forest trees, as well as techniques for tending saplings.

In terms of plant protection, some measures to prevent and control plant diseases and insect pests were proposed, and the method used by fruit farmers at that time to smoke to prevent frost damage was also described.

"Essentials for Elevating the People" attaches great importance to the selection and breeding of improved seeds, which plays an important role in improving the yield and quality of agricultural and livestock products.

"Qi Min Yao Shu" summarizes the experience of raising livestock and poultry and collects and records 48 cases of veterinary prescriptions, covering surgery, internal medicine, infectious diseases, parasitic diseases, etc.

Second, it incisively and thoroughly reveals the key points of dryland agricultural technology in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, and standardizes basic farming methods.

The middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River are characterized by drought and windy spring, rapid temperature rise, and continuous rain in summer.

Since ancient times, the corresponding measure has been to pay attention to the farming season and pay attention to farming methods.

"Essential Techniques for Elevating the People" is about transforming soil properties, maturing soil, conserving water, and improving soil fertility.

There are many important innovations in crop rotation, green manure planting, field well layout and winter irrigation.

Third, agricultural product processing, brewing, cooking, and storage technologies play a prominent role in "Essentials for Elevating the People."

Wine, sauce, vinegar, etc. may have been invented very early, but their production processes are revealed in detail and rigorously, with "Qi Min Yao Shu" being the earliest.

Fourth, there are many detailed observation materials on plant growth and development and related agricultural technology recorded.

They are all very enlightening observation and recording materials, and have been valued by agriculturists of all dynasties.

Fifth, attach importance to comprehensive analysis of agricultural production, science and technology and economic benefits.

Studying "Essentials for Elevating the People" from an economic perspective, Jia Sixie's work is not only a far-reaching agricultural technology classic, but also an encyclopedia of agricultural management methods.

As a masterpiece of science and technology, "Essentials for Elevating the People" is still regarded as a classic agricultural book after more than a thousand years.

Generally speaking, "Qi Min Yao Shu" introduces in detail the agricultural production technology and experience accumulated by the people before the Northern Wei Dynasty.

It not only reflected that the level of agricultural development at that time was already in a leading position, but also had a profound impact on the subsequent development of agricultural technology.

(End of this chapter)