Years: Salted fish life since going to the countryside.

Chapter 387 Real Spring Plowing (Memories of 5 6 7 8, please stop if you don’t like it)
There are two kinds of accumulated manure in the dung pile next to the livestock shed in Shanghe Village.

One is the dung that each household has to hand in at a fixed quota, like the dung collected by Zhang San last year, the dung from pig pens and livestock sheds, and the dung that villagers usually turn in are all piled up in a pile, and finally covered with a layer of dung. Soil, in addition to masking the taste, also prevents fertility from evaporating.

The other type is green manure. This kind of manure is specially made in summer when the fields are not too busy to make up for the shortage of manure.

The method of green manure is to add a layer of grass and other plants, a layer of soil, and water it once. Then add a layer of grass and other plants, a layer of soil, and water it once. Layer by layer, add water. When it is almost time, seal it with mud and wipe it to death, allowing the plants sealed under the soil to heat up and rot for a long time to become green manure, which becomes an indispensable boost for the growth of crops.

In Shanghe Village, people were divided into two groups early this morning, one group dug manure and the other group transported manure.

The things here are being pulled into the ground little by little, and the carts and wheelbarrows will leave after they are full.

But there are a few cars after all, so many people are assigned the task of picking up dung.

Use your shoulders to carry the dung basket and the dung bucket together. At this time, teammates are very important. If you are assigned to a pig teammate, you will be unlucky. If you are not careful, you will be covered in excrement.

Today, several people among the educated youth were covered in feces. Although the feces was not wet, the stench all over their bodies was unbearable, and several of them vomited it out on the spot.

But what if I vomit?The people around me pointed at them with disgust, and the squad leader scolded me for continuing to work.

It is better to use a shoulder pole to carry the dung, but many female educated youths give up after trying it. Their bodies are simply unable to carry two baskets of dung, and even if they pick it up, they cannot go very far.

After the carts, loads, and baskets of manure were transported to the fields, they were unloaded into piles.

After everything is transported, people will be arranged to use shovels and rakes to spread the manure evenly on the ground. Only then will the fertilization work before spring plowing be completed.

After the first day, the last group of educated youths who hadn't been to the ground were all dumbfounded.

Everyone was tired, smelly, and ached all over, especially their shoulders, which were red and swollen, and many people's skin was scratched through their thick cotton clothes.

After work was over, they went to hand over the tools. Even Zhang Yaozu, who was always active, dropped his head and said nothing. Zhang Xiangjun said with a smile.

"Yang Zirong is not like you are losing the battle now."

"Haha, have you seen Yang Zirong who is smelly?"

"Hold on. According to today's progress, it will be finished in two days. In the future, I will be tired but not so smelly."

The male educated youths were better, but the new female educated youths couldn't help crying as they walked.

When these newcomers cry, they directly make the old educated youths like Hao Hongmin and Wu Lili feel very uncomfortable.

This extremely long winter has made all their lazy muscles grow out, and they have lost almost all the quality and strength they have developed last year. It can be said that they are only a little better than Meng Zaihong, Zhang Shulan, and Hou Yuhua.

But these had nothing to do with the Yun sisters and He Mi. The two sisters resolutely followed Han Li's orders and would not go for a day unless there were special circumstances.

He Mi heard that what she was going to do today was to pick dung, so she didn't go out at all, but she had a legitimate excuse.

As the weather got warmer, the living environment improved, and there was an abundance of food, the flying dragons she raised began to lie down in their nests in addition to laying eggs.

Seeing this, He Mi put all the eggs they had laid in. The hatching of a flying dragon was a big deal, and no matter how careful you were, you couldn't be too careful, because it was related to whether Shanghe Village could have an extra income. No matter who came to her now, There was also an explanation.

However, He Mi still explained the matter to Village Chief Zhao and Captain Liang, so that they could see the results with their own eyes, so that they would be more willing to take the blame for her instead of just relying on Han Li's words.

It will be three days after the fertilization is completed, and then plowing will begin in the village.

An ox, a horse, and two donkeys in the village were all put on reins and began to pull the plow, and the plow was driven deep.

Shanghe Village uses a single-leg plow. It is said that there used to be a double-leg plow, which was passed down from the farm. It is said that plowing is fast and good.

However, the farm uses tractors, while the village uses livestock. Oxen and horses cannot pull the double-shared plow, so it was later abandoned by the village.

After the animals in front have plowed the land, a group of men will pull a rake to level the land. The word "rake" here is "bà".

The purpose of the "rake" is to level the land before sowing and to break up the large lumps in the soil that the plow has deeply plowed.

The structure of the rake is also very simple. It is a rectangular wooden frame with many iron teeth about 20 cm long fixed on both sides. It can crush large clods in the soil 15 cm deep.

Another use of raking is to use it when maintaining moisture in early spring, which can loosen the soil, conserve water, and increase soil temperature.

The method of using a "rake" is not difficult. When using it, an animal or a person is pulled in front. A person stands on the target and swings his feet back and forth to rake the ground, breaking up the large lumps of soil in the plowed land.

However, "shaking the rake" on the rake is a difficult technical task, which affects the effort of the animals or people in front, because not all places need to "shake the rake". If a novice is doing it, he will keep shaking it. , I can’t help but say that broken soil is not good either.

Of course it would be better to use animals to harrow the ground, but animals are now plowing.

One of the people in the village is concerned about the livestock, and the other is that waiting for the animals to finish plowing the land before raking it will affect the soil moisture.

(Moisture content: This is the moisture in the land.)
The remaining villagers and female educated youths have to follow the harrow and pull the rake. In some places, it is also called "hao", and in other places it is called "cover".

This is a tool used by northern farmers to level the land before sowing after plowing the dry land.

The production of "豱" is not complicated. First, make a frame with three long vertical logs and four short horizontal logs, and then weave shrub branches with finger thickness and toughness inside the frame.

Although the purpose of "耱" is also for flat ground, it has a different function from "拉".

"Rake" is the big lump of soil in the broken soil, and "raking" will rake the soil "raking" finer and the land "raking" flatter for better sowing.

"豱" is used in the same way as "rak". People stand on the "rak" or put big stones on it.

"Plough" and "harrow" are available in both the north and the south. They are just slightly different in shape, but they are special agricultural tools for "raking" the dry land in the north.

Things in the ground are not finished here, because "plough", "harrow", and "raking" cannot reach those corners.

Moreover, according to the requirements of Captain Liang, during spring plowing, we must try our best to plow deeply, plow thoroughly, harrow thoroughly, and make sure that every piece of land is used and no corner is left untouched.

Finally, except for the land where corn is to be planted, all the ground must be flat and empty at the top and solid at the bottom. Only in this way can the bottom moisture of the land be sufficient and the germination rate of crops can be higher.

So at this time, someone still has to dig out all the corners with shovels and hoe, and then use a rake to level the ground, and only then can the next step of sowing be carried out.

At that time, there were no mechanized seeders, and all the columbine "lóu" were used in rural areas.There are single-legged columba and multi-legged columbine. Its structure is not complicated. There are two long ape poles on the shelf and a funnel-shaped columbine bin with a large top and a small bottom. Vertically below the handrail is the columbine leg, which is hollow inside.

After the crop seeds are loaded into the columbine, they flow out from the "storage eye" at the bottom of the columbine.

In order to make the seeds flow evenly into the hollow columbine legs below, a small stick will be tied to an egg-sized stone ball at the eye of the columbine, and the stick will be inserted into the seed opening of the columbine. Attach to armrest with string.

Under the rocking of the columbine shaker, the stone balls tied to the mouth of the columbine also swing, making a clicking sound. With the sound of the stone balls hitting the columbine, the seeds are sown along the legs of the columbine to the ground. inside.

"Columbine" is a delicate job in agricultural production and requires experienced hands to operate it. It is commonly known as "palm columbine" and "shaking columbine".

Among the thousands of people in Shanghe Village, the best ones are only four or five uncle-level figures.

Before starting to sow, a columbist must first "fix" the seeds according to what kind of seeds they are and the current weather conditions.

Because different seeds have different flow rates on sunny days and cloudy days, these are related to whether the sown seeds can be evenly planted in the ground.

After starting to sow, the palm columbist can only rely on two arms. Both hands should be held flat and the strength should be even, so as to master the depth.

If you see that the sowing is deep, you can raise your hand slightly, if you see that the sowing is shallow, you can press down a little.

During this period, the person holding the columbine must not only shake the columb rhythmically to make the seeds fall evenly.

Always observe the flow rate of the seeds and whether the columbine mouth is clear, because impurities in the seeds will inevitably block the columbine mouth.

Only when the palm columbist shakes well can the seedlings in the field grow evenly, and farmers can save a lot of time and effort in the future.

Of course, the best person to use for pulling a columbine is an old ox. It has a steady pace and is very suitable for this job.

Unfortunately, big animals like cows are very precious. Some villages don’t even have one, or there are cows but they are too busy.

So the leader of the columbine became a human being. It was also very important for the leader who was in the middle to drive the columbine to be called the leader. Not only did he have to be strong, but he also had to walk evenly and in a straight line. Only in this way could the straightness and integrity of the columbine be ensured. Even distance.

However, things like rocking cobs are now made of wood, are very clumsy and heavy, and cannot be pulled by one person. At this time, at least two people are required to help pull the ropes on both sides. Some people jokingly say that people pulling the cobs on both sides It's just a clique.

Although the columbine is a tool that has been passed down since the Western Han Dynasty, it has been gradually modified through the dynasties to become what it is today.

However, it was not until the production brigade was disbanded that the villagers still used the columbine for a long time, and then the mechanized seed drill was ushered in.

Especially when the production brigade has just been disbanded and things are being divided, if any family can draw lots and get the columbine, then their family will definitely become the favorite in the village. During the sowing season, even if there are no old scalpers in the family, many people will take the initiative. Come to help his family pull out columbines.

This is done so that you can be the first to borrow a cog to sow seeds in your own land. Those who help will be given priority, and those who do not help will have to wait in the back. If some people speak late, they will have to wait for all the people in front of them. After planting, it is your turn to use it. This process may take one day or several days, and sometimes it is even worse when it rains.

There is also a tool similar to a "column" when sowing seeds in Gada, which is a gourd-pointing tool.

The total length of this point gourd is about [-] meters, and it can be operated on a leash across the shoulders.

Usually sowing small plots, or on-demand sowing small seeds, such as millet, millet, and sorghum are often used.

The whole dotting gourd is composed of four parts, 1. the gourd head, 2. the gourd crop and the hollow wooden conduit, 3. the gourd chips, which are tied with thin tree sticks to control the amount of seeds flowing out of the conduit, 4. the dotting gourd grate, which is made of The broom millet is tied up with a straw to delay the seeds from falling to the ground and spread the sowing area.There is also a wooden stick that hits the gourd crop to encourage the seeds to flow out and fall to the ground.

When using a point gourd to sow, there must be a plow in front of the ground. The person carrying the point gourd will walk along the furrow and tap the gourd crop. The seeds in the gourd will flow to the hollow pole, and the seeds in the hollow pole will The seeds will flow to the gourd chip again, and then spread evenly into the furrow from the gap of the grate.

Those who can use dot gourds are also veterans, because they can prepare dot gourds and can skillfully control the seeding rate.

The sowing is not over yet, closely following the "columbine" or pointing the gourd are the 砘 (dùn) , 打 (press) 磙, 转砘 , bo.se.

The scale looks similar to a weightlifting barbell, but it is connected with wood in the middle and specially made round stones with holes on both sides.

There are single pots, groups of two pots, and groups of three pots. How to use them depends on whether it is human power or animal power.

No matter what the combination is, whether it is pulled by people or animals, each rice mill must roll along the furrow.

The density of the furrow soil that has been crushed by the rice mill increases, which can reduce water evaporation, retain water, and protect moisture. This makes it easier for seeds to take root and germinate in the soil and improves the germination rate of seeds.

Otherwise, the plowed and "columbine" ground will easily evaporate and the humidity will drop, and the seeds planted may die of thirst before they germinate, so the last pull of the columbine becomes very important.

There is one last step here, which is to use a rake or scraper to gently pick up a little soil from the ground to form the back of the ridge.

In this way, the entire land is divided into small clusters, which is conducive to future watering work.

However, the educated youths in Shanghe Village can only do the work of raking, pulling, pulling, and pulling. As for other tasks, the villagers are not at ease entrusting them.

In particular, the educated youths were not allowed to touch the two tasks of shaking the columbine and lighting the gourds.

There is also the final step of lifting the back. Among the educated youth, only two old educated youths, Sun Yong and Li Hongxia, can do it.

But that doesn't mean they can rest. The corn and sugar beets haven't been planted yet.

The village chief and team leader planned to save beets until the end, and asked the village’s experts to discuss how to plant them together with the beet planting instructions given above.

As for corn, there is no need to plow the field. After grouping, the people in front of the group use shovels and picks to dig a small hole in the field.

The person behind throws two or three seeds into each kang, and finally uses their feet to push the excavated soil back to fill the small pit.

But just when the educated youth were going to plant corn tomorrow, Han Li rushed back from the mountains just before work was over that afternoon.

Well, Han Li came back at this time on purpose. When he fought with Blind Bear, his clothes were covered in mud. He hadn't washed himself in the past two days, and he looked very embarrassed.

The clothes on the face are all kinds of seasonal medicinal materials, and there is not even a chicken feather on the body.

The only extra thing was the thick grape vine that Han Li picked when he went into the mountains last time.

Han Li looked a little embarrassed now. Anyone who saw it could only say that he suffered for collecting medicine for the villagers.

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(End of this chapter)