Rome Must Perish-Chapter 256 - 163 War-time Farming_2

"Did the Segestica people agree?!" Volenus’s eyes lit up.

Maximus shook his head. "We have not yet received their reply. Based on the information we’ve gathered, the Great Chief of the Segestica tribe is very tough-minded. It’s unlikely they will agree.

What we’re doing is planting a seed of possibility with the Segestica people. In case their army, for some reason, cannot be deployed, or if they suffer another crushing defeat during a future attack, they’ll be more inclined to seriously consider our truce proposal."

"Next time..." Volenus complained disappointedly, "It’s already almost October. If we keep dragging this out, we won’t be able to plant this year!"

"I knew this was what you were worried about." Maximus stood up, rubbed his hands on his clothes, and smiled slightly. "Volenus, is your mind stuck in a rut? Do we really have to relocate everyone there to start farming?

The land around that village to the east is only about ten miles away from the camp. It will take just one or two hours to get there. Meanwhile, the nearest Segestica tribe is over twenty miles away. I can have the Military Department dispatch a certain number of soldiers to protect you while farming. At the same time, deploy a reconnoitre team to monitor the Segestica people’s movements. If anything unusual arises, you can retreat in time... Will that put your mind at ease?"

"Of course!" Volenus lit up with joy but quickly became worried again. "Even if we manage to plant, we won’t be able to protect the crops. If the Segestica army comes, won’t all the crops we plant be destroyed?"

"How could they be destroyed?" Maximus reassured confidently. "If the Segestica army comes too early, the crops we plant won’t have sprouted yet. What’s there to destroy?

If they come later, when the crops are fully grown, would they destroy them? No, they wouldn’t. If they dare to launch another attack, it means they’re confident they can defeat us. If they defeat us, those lands and crops will belong to them. Why would they ruin them? The only thing you need to keep in mind is to plant the crops away from the roads, to avoid them being trampled when their armies march in the future."

"You’re right, Chief. I’ll make the arrangements immediately!" Volenus, excited, turned to leave.

"Wait, don’t rush," Maximus called out, stopping him. "Before you go, tell me, how do you plan to organize farming over there? Who will you be bringing? What crops will you plant? What steps will you take for farming?"

Volenus wasn’t surprised that a leader like Maximus, commanding the entire army, would take such a keen interest in farming affairs. After all, when Volenus first joined the team, Maximus had already discussed agriculture with him. Despite his youth, Maximus was a leader who placed great emphasis on agriculture.

Volenus, calming himself, spoke with excitement: "Chief, I was just about to discuss this matter with you."

"Then let’s sit and talk." Maximus smiled. "Akegu, bring two cups of water."

"Yes," came the reply.

After they sat down, Volenus contemplated a moment before speaking. "Chief, here’s what I’m thinking. First, all personnel from the Agricultural Department will go to farm there. This will be an excellent opportunity to train them—to help them learn how to supervise and guide others more effectively while also gaining valuable insights about farming this particular region..."

"Good! You’re already proving to be an excellent Chief Officer of the Agricultural Department!" Maximus praised generously.

"Next, I will select over 200 people from the Supply Camp. Chief, you know I have records for those who’ve joined our group. These 200 people all have years of farming experience and extensive knowledge of agriculture.

Additionally, I plan to draw about 1,000 people from the Skodisqi who joined us earlier, mainly those already living in that village. They’ve been farming that land for over a year and are familiar with it. They’re likely more experienced than we are and can save us a lot of time. We could also learn a great deal from them..."

This time, Maximus didn’t nod. He asked, "Of the 1,000 Skodisqi people you plan to select, how many are able-bodied young men?"

"At least 700. They are the main workforce; we can’t have too few of them," Volenus explained.

"That won’t do," Maximus said, shaking his head. "We lost quite a few soldiers in the recent battles. To better handle the coming conflicts, we must train thousands of able-bodied Skodisqi people for combat as quickly as possible, so that they’ll be ready when needed.

I’d rather give you more quotas, even if that means pulling some seasoned veterans from our forces. But it’s best not to recruit too many able-bodied Skodisqi as farmers."

"Alright, Chief, I’ll reorganize the personnel," Volenus agreed readily, then continued. "I also plan to bring forty oxen and the iron plows we seized from the Segestica village. Our goal is to plow that land thoroughly and then plant beans and vegetables."

"Beans and vegetables..." Maximus mused thoughtfully.

"I’ve consulted both the Aldeans and the Skodisqi. They tell me that winters here are not too harsh. The Skodisqi even mentioned that they occasionally plant winter wheat near the Sava River, though the yield isn’t very high. So planting winter wheat on the land near the Kupa River should be feasible. ƒreewebɳovel.com

However, despite acquiring a fair amount of grain from the Segestica people, our numbers have grown, and food supplies remain tight. Using some of the wheat as seed on land that isn’t yet ours, with no experience in farming this unfamiliar soil, seems quite risky. I think it’s better to plant beans and vegetables first. Even if there are losses, it won’t feel as wasteful."

Maximus nodded approvingly. "You’ve thought this through carefully! What kinds of beans and vegetables are you planning to plant?"

"We’ve gathered about seven or eight hundred pounds from the Segestica village! The most we have are broad beans, followed by chickpeas, then some peas and lentils. I’m planning to plant all of them and divide the plowed land into plots..."

After talking for a while, Volenus suddenly remembered he hadn’t mentioned vegetables. He quickly added, "The vegetables include cabbage, lettuce, radishes, and onions. Radishes, being filling, will be planted in greater numbers..."

After hearing this, Maximus asked, "How do you plan to fertilize that land?"

"Chief, I’ve inspected that land multiple times. It’s rich black soil with a fishy smell, suggesting minimal cultivation by either the Aldeans or the Segestica people. As a result, its fertility hasn’t been significantly depleted.

However, the black soil is somewhat sticky. The Segestica people cleverly mixed it with lime soil to make it loose and breathable, which didn’t affect its ability to grow crops.

They told me that many Celtic tribes have been using such soil improvement methods for years. They even mix sand with clay and marl to enhance sandy soil’s fertility... Honestly, I wouldn’t have known the Celts were this skilled at farming until I saw it here!" Volenus remarked with admiration.

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