Chapter 83 Cultivating Saplings
Richard's Territory, William's Territory, and Stopa's Territory all have large areas of virgin forest. Geographically speaking, the three territories are all located at the southern foot of the Eagle Mountain Range.
Richard took Bernard with him and the sheep-headed people throughout the winter to visit every hilltop in the three territories, and only found twenty-six sugary trees on an area of 4,500 square kilometers.
Richard cut down some branches and successfully squeezed brown sugar from the branches.
This kind of tree was also named brown sugar tree by Richard.
With the success of sugar production, planting brown sugar trees has become a top priority for the Haaland Territory.
Twenty-six brown sugar trees are located in different parts of Harland's territory.
What kind of environment is needed to grow brown sugar trees? Richard doesn't know yet.
Although the sheep-headed people know all kinds of plants and are familiar with the characteristics of many plants.
But when it comes to plant cultivation and domestication, sheep-headed people are not as experienced as humans.
In addition to conventional domestication methods, humans in Dawn Continent also have magic to help them.
After Sophia was busy with the autumn harvest, she was called over by Richard to participate in the research on the brown sugar tree.
In addition to the branches and leaves of the brown sugar tree that can be used to squeeze sugar, the fruits produced on the tree are also very crisp and sweet, and the taste is close to that of dragon fruit.
The number of fruits is not particularly large. There are only dozens per tree. The fruit is only the size of a baby's fist and has only two or three seeds inside.
There is no greenhouse established in Harland's territory. Even if Richard wants to hatch seeds, the conditions are not mature.
There are actually a small number of greenhouses on the Dawn Continent. These greenhouses have large pieces of transparent glass installed on the roof and fire walls for heating. Their functions are not much different from the vegetable greenhouses in the previous life.
The production of glass is still an advanced technology in the Dawn Continent, and only a few lords have mastered the skills of burning glass.
尤其是烧制大块透明的玻璃，技术上有一定的难度。李察虽然建立了玻璃窑，但是工艺积累远远不够，到现在三年多了都没有生产出合格的玻璃。
因为烧制大块透明玻璃难度较高，能奢侈的用大块玻璃修建暖房的，基本上都是大贵族。
除了暖房外，魔法塔的植物种植实验室，一年四季也有适合植物生长的温度。
但是修建魔法台，同样需要非常高的投入。
尤其是元素能量池，每年都需要大量的魔法晶石提供能量。
单靠三个荒凉的男爵领，每年很少的收入，根本承担不了魔法塔的消耗，也没有力量建造魔法植物种植实验室，同样承担不了李察、苏菲亚等人的魔法研究。
苏菲亚在马克霍姆魔法王国生活了几年，有一些种植魔法植物的经验。
虽然红糖木不是魔法植物，但是很多理论都是相通的。
苏菲亚小心的解剖几颗红糖木的种子，然后使用了生命探测魔法。非常肯定的对李察说道：“种子生命力较弱，种子壳又比较坚固。所以发芽破壳的机会自然比较低。
虽然我对这种树木的习性还不了解，但是红糖木数量稀少，我估计是种子竞争力不足的缘故。”
“有没有什么办法，可以增加红糖木种子的竞争力。”
“可以先将种子泡软，然后给种子释放生命进化，植物觉醒，大地盛宴，生命祝福，活力增长等促进植物生长的魔法。”
李察悄悄地亲了亲苏菲亚的脸，低声问道：“你会不会使用这种魔法？”
“我在马克霍姆魔法王国干过一段时间的魔法种植，确实学过一些生命魔法。可以使用生命进化，植物觉醒，活力增长三个魔法。 离开马克霍姆魔法王国之后，本以为学过的魔法没有了用处。没想到回到领地后，竟然会用魔法培育普通的植物。”
Hearing the good news, Richard picked up Sophia, spun her around in the air a few times, and said excitedly: "That's great, you can do an experiment in the bedroom first to see if you can let the brown sugar tree grow." The seeds germinate.
If the experiment is successful, we will be able to obtain a large number of brown sugar trees by tomorrow spring.
Sometimes the territory will add a new industry of brown sugar, providing us with a steady stream of funds. As long as the territory develops well, we can also build Magic Tower, continue the research on magic."
"What is brown sugar?"
Brown sugar is still a new term in Chenxi Continent.
The nobles of Dawn Continent eat honey, but the common people who want to eat sweet food can only taste fruits and chew sweet plant roots. Sugar has not yet appeared in people's diets.
Richard took out the cooked brown sugar, gave it to Sophia to taste, and asked: "Is it sweet?" "It is
indeed very sweet!"
"This is brown sugar squeezed from the brown sugar wood. I think this kind of product There will be good sales."
After seeing the real brown sugar, Sophia was very motivated. She placed a large number of flower pots in the bedroom, used life magic every day to promote the germination of brown sugar tree seeds, and also set up a control group.
Sophia's experiment was very successful, and she cultivated hundreds of brown sugarwood saplings in one winter.
These saplings were planted on a hilltop by Richard.
The original brown sugar trees in the territory were also dug up to this hilltop by Richard.
Fortunately, there are many strong men in Harland's territory. Otherwise, it would take a lot of effort to transplant big trees in the barren mountains.
Richard, Hyman, and Martin took action personally, and a few people could lift a tree weighing several tons.
Richard cut down more than half of the forest on the mountain, freeing up a lot of open space. Richard was planning to plant brown sugar trees on several nearby hills.
This area has been planned by Richard as a brown sugar tree planting area, and a sugar mill will be opened nearby.
Now Richard has begun planning the map of the sugar mill. Construction will soon begin at the foot of the mountain to build a factory. The training of sugar workers has also been accelerated.
More than ten days later, a labor team arrived at the sugar mill, and under the command of Richard, they began to build factory buildings, employee dormitories and other buildings.
These workers are all slaves rescued from the orcs. They come from different regions, and even include people from the Kingdom of Lane.
Now they have become indentured slaves of the Harland family.
These people were all sugar mill workers selected by Richard, totaling about 400 people.
According to Richard's plan, one hundred thousand brown sugar trees will be planted on several hills.
Brown sugar trees can grow to a height of more than ten meters. Each brown sugar tree that is ten years old can cut down 300 kilograms of branches and leaves and extract about 30 kilograms of sugar.
If the brown sugar tree plantation is successful, Richard will receive 1,500 tons of brown sugar every year.
If a pound of brown sugar is sold for one copper coin, the territory can increase its gross income by nine thousand gold coins. Even if the production volume increases significantly, the price of brown sugar will not be as cheap as one copper coin per catty. Based on three copper coins per catty, there will be a gross income of 25,000 gold coins in a year.
(End of chapter)