Agricultural research [Task from the Mayor]

[David Brooker]

Mayoral task

Agricultural research

Generations of Yewish farmers have collected a wealth of knowledge on how best to maximise their yields, minimise expense and make their lives easier. However, not all of this know-how is freely shared, and some peasants guard their family secrets jealously. If we are to further improve the efficiency of our current agricultural base and ease the development of new plots to the east, we must gather as much of this valuable expertise and distribute it amongst the population.

Rules

* You are to interview a farmer of Yew and gather as many useful hints and tips on farming as possible.
* Some farmers may be unwilling to share information that will benefit potential rivals - be creative and entertaining in your efforts to persuade them to part with it
* The best advice shall be gathered together and distributed in the form of a farming guidebook.
* You must provide an in-depth report or diary recording your efforts
* May be completed by guardsmen or citizens, alone or in pairs/small groups.


Reward to be determined by the quality of the effort made and knowledge collected

David Brooker
Mayor of Yew

[Kain]

... Blood ran slowly down a gash on his forehead. It almost looked like three small rivers across the country site as the blood followed the furrowed scars across his face. He raised his free hand and wiped his face while uttering profanities that would make a dockworker frown while his breath turned to mist in the freezing dungeon air.

He looked over his shoulder to find reassurance from the ironclad fighters standing silently in the shadows quite a few paces behind him but found none in their judging eyes. A boneshrilling roar sounding and he turned his face back front readying his spear... "A spear, of all things why I did bring a spear" He thought to himself as the Icefiend more than twice his height loomed over him. A few more profanities left his mouth as the beast attacked...

*BANG*

He woke up with flailing arms as the clerk dropped a huge pile of paperwork on his desk.
"Bloodeh Hell, ye tryin' ter kill me!?" The Deputy Mayor almost roared as he gathered his wits.
"No sir, just dropping of todays paperwork" The Clerk smiled slightly. "We could requisition a bed for your office, your nightmares always seems to wreck something" The clerk pointed at his desk.
The Deputy Mayor stared down at the small pond of drool that had ruined a letter. "Jus' reminiscing on 'appier days" He said, mostly aimed at himself.
The clerk chuckled heartily and turned around to leave the office.
"By the way, 'as anyone gathered some infermation from 'em farmers in West Yew?". The clerk looked over his shoulder and replied with a shake of his head. "No Sir, not yet" He thought about covering his ears as knew what came next and sure enough the Deputy Mayor spluttered out a whole series of profanities, ones he'd never heard before as usual. He shrugged his shoulders a little back at the Deputy Mayor hoping that he'd forget them as his wife was often shocked with the language he brought back home now and then.
"Ah can't believe tha' nayone is interested in makin' some extra coin in this city, 'ave one of the menials fetch me ol'steed. Avatar forbid me walkin' all the way ter West Yew." The Clerk nodded in return somewhat baffled.
"Is this the one you rode as a Corsair? I remember seing you ride through Yew on that when I was but a child." The Deputy mayor nodded with a nostalgic look on his face.
"Tha's the one alroit... Shouldn't surprise meh if it outlives meh."




Information on Farming

Today I got out of my way to visit the farmers of West Yew to attain some useful information on farming. Our records show that the farmers of West Yew has the highest effiency on their farms in the whole of Yew. Getting them to share the information with me was quite a nuissiance howev...

*A small doodle of a woman is drawed on the margin of the parchment*
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/SundaySoldier/UO/peddler.jpg

... However I got an agreement in after offering a crate of my best rum for their next harvest festivities that I won't be drinking my self anyway. The things i got shown and the tips i recieved me are enclosed in a draft of the farming handbook.



Agriculture the West Yew way

Preparation of the Land:

After completion of eventually needed deforrestation to make room for farmable land one should start of with a controlled burning of the undergrowth and grass that may be in the way to reach the fertile soil. Having done so one can utilise rakes or something similar to get rid of the remains of the scorched plant growth.

Plowing the fields:

Where most farms in Yew use a one-furrow plough, the farmers of west Yew have pooled their money and invested in custom made three-furrow ploughs, speeding up the process of ploughing considerately. This allows more land to be prepared for farming than what can be acheived with a normal plough in the same time.

Irrigation and fertilizing:

Due to underground rivers below the mountains south of West Yew the aquifier is wery close to ground level, which has a lot to say in West Yews succesful agricultural ventures. This emphassis the importance of having access to fresh water and plenty of it. Furthermore fertilizing of the crops is very important for continual growth. This can be achieved through the use of the urine and feces of the domestical animals usually found in the farming sectors of Yew.

Harvesting:

This is by far the most labour intensive task related to farming and it is important that it is done at a correct time in context to the life-cycle of the crop in question to acchieve the best product possibly.

Additional notes:

The Farmers of West Yew have spend many generations breeding resilient and top quality crops, which according to them are the finest in all of Sosoria. Should one have the patience, the stubborness and a bulging coinpurse these seeds and saplings could probably be bought from West Yew.


Kain Raslo
Deputy Mayor