coobybook Chapter 192 Low Cotton Yield
Chapter 192 Low Cotton Yield
As for other lotus roots that were in good condition but did not need to be kept for seeds, Gu Wenxuan and Bai Jingzhou also properly stored them using the sand storage method and earth pit storage method.
Sand storage method. Choose a high, wind-sheltered, rain-proof place, and spread fine sand on the ground. The moisture should be such that it will fall apart when you squeeze it into a ball. Dig drainage ditches around the ground, and lay a layer of lotus roots on top of a layer of fine sand. Alternate the sand and lotus roots, and stack 5 to 6 layers. Cover the top with about 10 cm thick wet sand.
Earth pit storage method: Dig a pit, spread a layer of fine wet soil on the bottom of the pit, select lotus roots of good quality, with thick stems and intact roots, spread them evenly, then sprinkle a layer of fine soil on top and spread the lotus roots again, and repeat this process.
The above two methods can effectively help lotus roots survive the winter, but it is necessary to keep the storage temperature at around 5°C to maintain the quality of the lotus roots and extend the shelf life.
In addition to these intact ones, there were also some that were accidentally damaged during the harvesting process. These were not durable, so apart from the three baskets left for farmers to taste and the three baskets left for their family to make soup and meat, Gu Wenxuan and Bai Jingzhou decided to give the rest to their close relatives.
Gu Wenxuan and Bai Jingzhou also put the lotus seeds, lotus leaves, etc. that were harvested along with the lotus roots to different uses.
In addition, Gu Wenxuan and Bai Jingzhou only sold a small portion of the fish and shrimp that grew in the same pond as the lotus roots to wealthy local households who heard the news and came to buy them. They dried the rest, made them into dried fish and shrimp, and stored them.
After harvesting the lotus roots, the two men took their families and farmers to harvest cotton.
The cotton grown from the seeds that Mu Hanzhi helped them find was fine-staple cotton, also known as upland cotton.
The thread density and length of this cotton fiber are medium, generally 25-35mm in length, with a thread density of 4700-6400 metric tons and a strength of about 4.5cN. It is not the same variety as the more famous Xinjiang long-staple cotton in later generations.
During the planting process, Bai Jingzhou and Gu Wenxuan discovered that this type of cotton is a late-maturing variety with a longer growth cycle.
Based on their growth conditions, Bai Jingzhou calculated that they should mature between early to mid-October.
Mu Hanzhi, who received his letter, arrived in Liulin Town on the second day of October.
After arriving, the first thing he did was to call the steward whom he had sent over in advance.
Hearing from his steward that Bai Jingzhou and Gu Wenxuan were preparing to harvest cotton in Dongbai Village, Mu Hanzhi immediately took his trusted followers and hurried to Dongbai Village.
Based on past experience, Bai Jingzhou arranged the cotton picking time from Chenshi (8 a.m.) to Youshi (6 p.m.) every day.
As for the cotton picking technique, experienced workers usually use both hands to pick cotton, that is, pick two cotton flowers with both hands at the same time. This is easier said than done, so novices basically pick cotton with one hand.
Picking cotton with one hand usually means picking a cotton flower with the right hand, then passing the cotton to the left hand, and then using the right hand to pick off the dead branches and leaves stuck to the cotton, and finally stuffing the cotton into a cloth bag hanging in front of the chest.
It is not enough to just pick the cotton. The newly picked cotton needs to be further processed.
The first step in processing is to remove the seeds and impurities. The newly picked cotton needs to separate the cotton seeds and remove the impurities, that is, separate the cotton seeds, cotton flowers, twigs and other impurities.
When removing impurities, first turn the cotton bag upside down on the ground, gently shovel it with a shovel to shake out the impurities accumulated at the bottom of the bag, then take out the cotton and tap it on the ground a few times to make the remaining impurities fall off.
The second step in the process is drying, where the newly picked cotton needs to be air-dried.
The conditions for drying cotton are suitable temperature, good ventilation and avoiding sunlight. After drying, the cotton is soft and delicate, and can be directly used to make clothes, fill bedding and cushions, etc.
The third step of the treatment is preservation. Newly picked cotton may contain microorganisms and have a higher moisture content, so it needs to be treated with preservation.
If you need to store it for a long time, it is best to put an appropriate amount of dry orange peel or dry tea leaves in the cotton after drying to keep it dry and prevent moisture and mildew.
Bai Jingzhou had already taught the farmers the picking and processing techniques in advance.
With their division of labor and cooperation under the instructions of Gu Wenxuan and Bai Jingzhou, the cotton picking and processing work went very smoothly.
All the cotton fields in the three farms were harvested, and Gu Wenxuan and his team ultimately harvested more than 30,000 kilograms of cotton seeds and more than 50,000 kilograms of cotton.
This number may not seem small at first glance, but they used the land of three farms to grow it.
The planting method given by Bai Jingzhou has been verified and optimized, and the planting conditions such as land, light, and fertilizer are already the best within their capabilities. However, over the past year, although everyone has worked diligently to take care of the cotton fields, the per-acre yield of the cotton fields is still just barely reaching the average level of modern low-yield cotton fields.
Gu Wenxuan and Bai Jingzhou both felt regretful, but they were not surprised at all.
From the moment the cotton plants produced bolls, the two had already anticipated that the yield per mu of cotton would never be high. This was because, although the seeds that Mu Hanzhi got for them did not look much different from modern cotton seeds to the naked eye, there was obviously not a lot of cotton wool in each boll of those cotton plants.
In other words, there is still a lot of room for optimization and improvement of this cotton variety.
Of course, Gu Wenxuan and Bai Jingzhou did not intend to continue this time-consuming and laborious work.
They already have cotton to use, and they have planned to share with Mu Hanzhi their experience in cotton planting, picking methods, subsequent processing steps, and even common uses of cotton without reservation. So of course they also have to share the important responsibility of improving the quality of cotton.
In order to allow Mu Hanzhi's benefactor to obtain enough cotton seeds for experimenting and promoting cotton planting, Gu Wenxuan and his team only planned to keep a small portion of the newly collected cotton seeds.
In total, they harvested more than 31,800 kilograms of cotton seeds, and the remaining kilograms were more than 800 kilograms, enough for Gu Wenxuan and others to grow cotton next year.
Gu Wenxuan and Bai Jingzhou had already agreed that the remaining 31,000 kilograms would be handed over to Mu Hanzhi for secret transportation.
Of course, it also includes some cotton planting tips, picking methods, subsequent processing steps and common uses.
The two of them wanted to keep more cotton. Their original plan was to keep half of the cotton for themselves and sell the other half to Mu Han.
They planned to use the remaining portion to make quilts and cotton clothes for themselves and their relatives, and use the majority of the rest to experiment with spinning and weaving.
They planned to hire women from the surrounding areas who were in difficult situations to work and find a way for them to make a living.
However, Mu Hanzhi earnestly asked them to be flexible and sell him as much cotton as possible.