The Restoration of Rome: In the Name of Augustus

Chapter 143 Spring Farming Plan

Chapter 143 Spring Farming Plan (Part 1)

Half an hour later, the three arrived at Robert's residence in Jerusalem.

Theodore was overjoyed to see that Mr. Robert had finally returned, and respectfully invited them into the study deep inside the mansion.

The study floor was covered with an Italian-style carpet, and the walls were adorned with tapestries bearing Robert's surname "Visconti." A large pine table stood in the center of the room.

There was nothing else on the table except a finely crafted sand table.

Mountains sculpted from clay, deserts covered with dyed sand, rivers and oceans pieced together from shattered blue glass, cities and fortresses represented by small wooden blocks —

The entire Levant region, from Antioch to the Sinai Peninsula, from the Mediterranean Sea to the deserts on the east bank of the Jordan River, lies before your eyes.

Robert proudly explained to Lyon, "Your Highness, I haven't had a moment's rest since I was granted an honorary title by the royal family. With my years of experience traveling all over the country and visiting sites, plus Theodore's help, this sand table was finally completed a few months ago. It will definitely be of great benefit to your spring planting plan!"

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Accord's eyes widened in amazement. He instinctively stepped closer, intending to reach out and touch it, but then quickly withdrew his hand, exclaiming, "Amazing! Absolutely amazing!"

"I never expected this, Robert. I always thought of you as a shrewd businessman. I appointed you as the construction supervisor, and because you have connections in Sicily, I temporarily let you assist with agricultural affairs. I never imagined—" Leon looked at Robert with admiration and asked, "The depth of your knowledge of mountains, geography, and agriculture is truly beyond my imagination."

"Your Highness is too kind. It's just a family tradition," Robert said with a smile. "Our Visconti family has been a hereditary viscount in Lombardy for a hundred years. We specialize in helping the Earl manage his business. We're very familiar with things like inventorying grains and collecting taxes."

Sensing Lyon's curious gaze, Robert added, "Of course, Visconti has many branches, and I'm just the second son of a minor branch, so I chose to go into business."

Lyon nodded in sudden realization, then walked closer to the model and bent down to examine it closely.

The Kingdom of Jerusalem on the sand table has very little green area, resembling a few isolated islands surrounded by yellow sand.

"With trade routes to Sicily blocked, we can't plan as meticulously as before. Our immediate priority is to increase production as quickly as possible, regardless of the type of crop." Lyon pointed to the largest patch of green to the north. "Galeri, what can we grow here?"

"Wheat, barley, olives, grapes," Robert rattled off, "but Galilee's problem is that it has too many hills and limited flat valleys. And—"

He picked up a thin wooden stick and pointed to several areas marked with brown clay: "These places have poor soil, lots of stones, and the plow is easily damaged."

"What about the Jordan Valley?"

"It's a treasure trove, but also a dangerous place," Robert said solemnly. "The valley is low-lying and extremely hot in the summer, so only heat-resistant crops like dates, cotton, and sugarcane can be grown. Moreover, it's too close to the border, and it could be attacked by infidels from the east bank at any time, so farmers don't dare to settle there long-term."

Lyon's gaze shifted to the coastal plain: "The area from Jaffa to Acre?"

"The alluvial plain has fertile soil, but it has two problems." Robert drew the area with a stick. "First, it's too narrow. At its widest point, it's no more than a hundred apons (equivalent to five kilometers), making it easily susceptible to flash floods from the mountains. Second, and most critically, it lacks water."

He picked up a small earthenware pot and slowly poured water into the area on the sand table that represented the coastal plain.

The water was quickly absorbed by the sand, leaving only dark marks on the surface.

"You see, the sandy soil can't retain water. Although it's close to the sea, the seawater can't irrigate it. The farmland here depends entirely on winter rain, and in dry years—" Robert shook his head.

Theodore, standing nearby, added, "The master is right. Last year, 30% of the crops near Acre died from drought."

Leon walked to the other side of the model and pointed to an area marked in light green: "What are these?"

"The terraced fields on the edge of the mountains," Robert explained, "mainly the gentle slopes of the Lebanese and Samarian mountains. The locals build terraces with stones and grow olives and grapes, and sometimes beans. But the construction and maintenance of the terraces are extremely labor-intensive, and the yield is not high."

Lyon straightened up and looked around the entire sand table.

Drought-resistant crops — Mediterranean climate — Water-saving industry —

"Robert," he suddenly said, "there are three things we must do immediately."

Robert straightened up: "You said."

"Wheat and barley are too water-intensive and unsuitable for many parts of the kingdom," Lyon said, his fingers moving across the sand table. "We need to promote drought-resistant crops. For example—chickpeas."

"Chickpeas?" Robert asked doubtfully. "That's food for poor people, and the yield is—"

"But it can grow in poor soil and requires only half the water of wheat," Lyon interrupted him. "And it's nutritious and can be a staple food. There are also lentils, mulberries, and figs—these plants are either drought-resistant or have deep root systems that can absorb groundwater. We need to make a list and promote them in different regions."

Jacob chimed in, "The monastery's vegetable garden does indeed grow mostly beans, which grow better than wheat."

Lyon pointed to the coastal plain: "You say the sand there can't hold water? Then don't try to hold all the rainwater. We can dig reservoirs, you know, those underground water storage cellars."

He continued, "Deep pits are dug in low-lying areas of the farmland, with the inner walls rammed with clay to prevent leakage, and the tops covered with stone slabs to reduce evaporation. During the rainy season, rainwater and mountain streams are channeled into the pits for storage. During the dry season, water is drawn for irrigation using levers or buckets pulled by livestock."

Robert nodded. "I know. I remember discussing this method with the King. These water cellars are called 'algibes' by the Moors," and they are common in Andalusia, but very expensive. A cellar that can irrigate ten acres requires thirty workers for a month. For cost reasons, we've only completed construction in the Acre and Tyre regions, so they'll be ready for this spring's planting."

"Then let's continue and extend it throughout the kingdom," Lyon said decisively. "I can allocate the first sum from the royal treasury. Once it proves effective, the lords will naturally follow suit. After all, an extra ten percent of grain is a real benefit for them."

"You mentioned before that many places have a lot of rocks, making the plow shape easily damaged," Lyon asked. "How's the rollout of our improved plow going?"

Robert looked troubled: "Your Highness, the heavy-duty plow you designed with curved plowshares and wheels is indeed very useful on the soft soil of Ramla and the Jordan Valley, plowing deep and turning the soil thoroughly. But it's too heavy on the hills of Galilee and the sandy and stony land along the coast; even two oxen struggle to pull it. The farmers complain that it's not as good as their ancestral, lightweight wooden plow."

"Is that so?" Lyon was somewhat discouraged.