I'm not a lord

Chapter 90 Autumn Harvest
For the development of the territory, Lin En really plays the role of both father and mother.

It is necessary to provide both technology and hands-on guidance.

Every day when I open my eyes, I see a packed schedule.

Thanks to his efforts, the blacksmith workshop and the papermaking workshop finally got back on track.

Especially the blacksmith workshop under Eric's rule.

This guy is a real workaholic.

In the past, blacksmiths had to take a day off after working for two to three days, after all, their arms could not support the work of swinging the hammer too frequently.

But now that hydraulic forging hammers have replaced most of the blacksmiths' mechanical labor, Eric believes that this rest time can naturally be avoided.

The forge and the sound of iron hammering in the blacksmith's workshop never stop day and night.

Under the leadership of Qihe, blacksmiths and apprentices with lower comprehension levels meet people's livelihood needs and make long-handled weapons such as spears and halberds.

A few with higher comprehension were guided by Eric, focusing on plate armor.

At the same time, he was busy expanding and renovating the blacksmith workshop.

Five hydraulic forging hammers are too few, and the internal space of the workshop is totally insufficient.

Fortunately, Lynn had reserved a large piece of vacant land before, so there was enough land and building materials for Eric to work on.

However, the expansion of the workshop is destined to be postponed to September.

Because White Bear Territory is about to usher in the annual harvest season.

As the 36,000 mu of fields gradually matured, all the serfs had to put aside all their chores and devote themselves to the harvest.

If you want to do your work well, you must first sharpen your tools. Lin En started preparing for the harvest season in early August.

He mobilized all the stonemasons and carpenters in White Bear Town.

The stonemasons were responsible for making the stone rollers.

They used horse-drawn carts to pull huge bluestones from the stone mines in the north, and used chisels and other tools to shape them into cylindrical shapes, like a miniature steamroller.

At the same time, Lin En also ordered each village to build threshing grounds, and stone rollers came in handy to press the cleared land into a firm and flat one.

The stone roller threshes more efficiently than the flail, the most common tool in the North.

Rye can be threshed on a large scale using oxen and draft horses.

In contrast, the flail commonly used by serfs was more suitable as a weapon than a threshing tool.

The carpenters were responsible for making the fan wheels used to sift the grains and chaff.

The chaff consists of the husk removed from the rye during threshing, as well as some unfilled kernels.

The fan has a simple structure and generates wind by hand-cranking, causing the grains with high density to sink and the chaff with low density to float up.

This automatically separates the grains from the chaff.

Bran is not waste, but high-quality livestock feed and compost raw material, and plays an important role in feudal manors.

Before the harvest season arrived, the more than 3,000 serfs in the territory were busy.

The serfs who built the stone houses completed the final finishing work and moved into the sturdy and warm stone houses.

Lin En also directed hundreds of serfs to optimize the warehouses for storing grain.

The barn inside the castle was replaced with a double-layer wooden structure, with a stone base at the bottom, covered with wooden boards and straw, and multiple ventilation holes added to maximize moisture-proof performance to reduce storage losses of grain.

In the future, a large population will flock to the White Bear Territory. Every additional 200 kilograms of food can feed one more worker, and there is no room for negligence.

Amidst the constant busyness of the entire territory, time quickly arrived in mid-August.

The harvest season has arrived as promised.

The sun shines on the vast fields of White Bear Territory, and the 36,000 acres of fields look like an overturned golden paint palette.

Heavy ears of wheat swayed gently in the breeze, creating waves of grain, each ear so full it threatened to burst through its husk. As soon as the serfs carrying sickles and pushing wheelbarrows reached the edge of the fields, they were so shocked by the scene that their breathing quickened.

They have been digging for food in the fields all year round and are well aware of the value of this scene.

Food is the foundation of their survival and also the basis of the existence of the White Bear Territory.

For most serfs, their lives were nothing more than a few dozen ripe ryes.

Silent, yet the most indispensable cornerstone of the entire kingdom.

"Master, I've calculated that this year we've planted 30,000 acres of rye. The most fertile public land yields over 120 kilograms per acre, and the lowest-quality serf allotments yield around 70 kilograms. All told, the average yield per acre is at least 90 kilograms."

Old Albert inspected most of the fields in the territory these days and came to an extremely shocking conclusion.

Just last year, the average yield per mu of White Bear Ridge rye was less than 40 kilograms.

This year it has more than doubled.

After deducting the 15 kilograms of seeds per acre, the net yield per acre is as high as 75 kilograms.

What is this concept?
Assuming 200 kilograms of grain per person per year, White Bear Territory will be able to feed more than 10,000 people before next autumn harvest.

This is just a calculation on paper; in reality it will only feed more people.

The more than 3,000 barbarians in the salt mines in the north cannot consume so much food, and they still retain the tradition of hunting and gathering.

Little Albert distributed more than 30 tons of food to them in a month, which averaged out to less than 10 kilograms per person per month.

The serfs in White Bear Territory couldn't eat so much. After all, every household raised sheep and grew vegetables, and they had meat, vegetables and dairy products as supplements.

And White Bear Territory will not export a single grain of rye this year.

The oats and barley grown on the remaining 6,000 acres will not be exported.

Based on the maximum food intake of 150 kilograms per person per year, White Bear Territory can feed 14,000 to 15,000 people.

Old Albert calculated these astonishing figures in his mind and had already begun planning to expand a few more manors.

Lynn is very satisfied with this year's grain output.

Rye is not a high-yield crop. In the technologically advanced modern society, the yield per mu of rye is usually only more than 200 kilograms.

This is the result of the combined support of various technologies such as fertilizers, breeding, and agricultural machinery.

The most fertile public land in White Bear Territory achieved an output of 120 kilograms per mu, which was slightly beyond his expectations.

By next year, there will still be room for improvement in Territory’s planting technology.

For example, the sowing quantity per acre can be reduced. Fifteen kilograms of seeds is too wasteful.

The serfs' techniques of tilling the land, selecting seeds and applying fertilizers will become more and more proficient over time.

When it comes to the most suitable high-yield food crop, rice is the real god. It’s a pity that Lin En can’t get the seeds for the time being.

Of course, growing rice from scratch is too troublesome, and Bai Xiongling does not have the conditions or the time.

"Albert, you've done a great job. This year is a good year, but you can't let up next year."

Lynn is never stingy with praise for his loyal subordinates who work hard.

Old Albert has not stopped for even a single day in the past few months. He has been directing the spring plowing and sowing, and is also responsible for various projects. He has devoted himself to the development of White Bear Territory.

But after praising him, he still needs to be ordered around.

Old Albert still can't stop this month. He must take full charge of the autumn harvest work in the territory.

Until the last grain of wheat entered the castle's warehouse.

It should be on the shelves this Saturday, the editor has already notified me.

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(End of this chapter)