The Undesigned Chapter XIIIb ; Harvest, or, the 'Feast of Friends'

Recom. XVIII [III / 2014 ] ; The plants , Pt 2b

”...Since an acre of sugar produces as many calories as nine to twelve acres of wheat, imported sugar provided the caloric equavalent of the produce of 1.3 million 'ghost acres' of wheat-farming land in 1800, rising to 2.5 million acres in 1830 and around 20 million acres by 1900. Britain had clearly escaped the constraints of its limited land area by producing industrial goods, which did not require much land to manufacture and trading them for food, which did.

Sugar was of course used to sweeten tea, the favored drink of industrial workers, which helpfully delivered energy (from the sugar) and kept them alert during long shifts (since tea contains caffeine). Sugar was also consumed as a foodstuff, to enliven an otherwise monotonous diet: It could be added to porridge in the form of treacle or molasses, and eaten as jam (containing 50 to 65 percent sugar) in sandwiches. Treacle or jam on bread was favored by working families in the industrial cities because it was cheap source of calories and could be prepared quickly without the need to cook anything. Many women were now working in factories, and they no longer had time to prepare soup. ...” ; Standage, The Edible History of Humanity (2000s) , from chpt..8 - Fuels of Industry,

”The cauldron was a bubbling, 
the flesh was lean

And the women moved forward 
like piranhas in a stream

They spread themselves 
before me an offering so sweet

And they beckoned 
and they beckoned come on darling eat”

; Patti Smith / Summer cannibals (song)

”Consider, besides, that the same number of men consume much less in hot countries. The climate requires sobriety for the sake of health; and Europeans who try to live there as they would at home all perish of dysentery and indigestion.

[...] The nearer you get to the equator, the less people live on. Meat they hardly touch; rice, maize, curcur, millet and cassava are their ordinary food. There are in the Indies millions of men whose subsistence does not cost a halfpenny a day. Even in Europe we find considerable differences of appetite between Northern and Southern peoples. A Spaniard will live for a week on a German's dinner. In the countries in which men are more voracious, luxury therefore turns in the direction of consumption. In England, luxury appears in a well-filled table; in Italy, you feast on sugar and flowers.”

; Rousseau, Social Contract (Book III ; chpt VIII, 'That all forms of government do not suit all countries'), p 1762.

Albeit I don't think the Italians to live solely on flowers and sugars, Rousseau's p-o-w has some similarity if thinking our former writings about foods here (...view fx this from our earlier posts about meats). While I nowadays maintain somewhat more of a vegetables-oriented dietary preferences, and would by now probably write about that business (modern meat market) more sharply, I think the said still has some main points addressed. Of course, Rousseau's remarks probably (somewhat) also reflect his own times. On 1700s flourished climate-oriented theories/opinions on dependence of the physical characteristics of peoples around different corners of world (I-o-w; North – Sourth/ temperate – tropics), ...And it was then fx usual characterizing and classifying humans (also their behaviours and cultures ) acc. the typical weathers for any region considered.

; ...I also think it not necessary to occupy too much text or space of this chpt for the prospectable or envisioned thoughts on human agricultures.. But felt it quite proper for to view few aspects from it's history (ie, the role of the foods and farming on history of humanity. That so, even though appears that above quoted text by Standage is almost sole book I've viewed on this. (; ...along w. the older classic environmentalist book by Wilson, The biodiversity of Life, p. -92, it only slight relating for agricultural topics, but more on the natural ecology of the tropical region, ao.)

Has it's moments...as I think that those above paragraphs for quite correctly noticing of how much our habits and systems about food have changed since that, during relative recent period, around from mid 1800s. Merely meaning the overall change on diets, ...by the many or major amounts of peoples, fx the workers and 'petit bourgeoise, (in the Europes, et sim mostly, though). ; Also the above quoted paragraph are in the book preceded by descriptions from the early emergence of (British) industrialization and shift for uses of coal as the replacement of firewood, which took place around the same era. Contains also fx pages about the agricultural imports from prior acquised colonies, the West Indies, ie mainly the sugar imports, that; '...provided an astonishing proportion of British caloric intake during the nineteenth century.'.

(; Pic - Ra-ta-touille ; ...Prepared of the sefl-cultivated various vegetables; squash, tomatos, onion,carrots, etc. (The sweet pepper and eggplants weren't yet making harvest at that time, so I bought those for this preparation). But also the herbs/spices collected from my own plants (rosemary, oregano,saviour, basil, bay leaf, ...well the pepper not).
 
(B-t-w, here merely quoted from reason that modern emphasize about the disadvantages of sugars on diet has always/often seemed at least slightly misleading acc. my own finding. Of course, not likely much of sugarines on diet never can be defended by any argument favoring it's healthyness, but when viewing those 'past times' the fact remains that formerly (most peoples of the Northern Europes as elsewhere), also used the major amount of the energies gained from an increasage of sugar at their diet. I mean, typically the physical labor was around the time more common. Not solely only means the working-hours, but as well such everyday tasks like washing of the clothes, fx. ...Goes then w. mention noting in the same that sugarines on those 'treacles, molasses and jams' were probably digested on healthier, or at least less caloric/fattening form (and/or, w. better accompaniments) than these modern alternatives; Choko-bars, cereals, also the sugarine  drinks.)

; ...Far less was I impressed on fx about the (Standage's view) from that on the prospectable futures the speciation (for certain crops produced on certain areas) would make some neat solutions to the (global) agricultural problems. Certainly is sensible on some aspects. Fx, understandadly appears it quite true and correct it not being reasonable from to cultivate (particularly) water-consuming crops (rice, or tomatoes fx, et sim examples) on generally drier areas/regions, but I find it at least suspectable to also advert an opinion that the transports from other sides of the world would ever make efficient and ecological alternatives for a local production. Also, in comparison, fx, there are lot of places, nowadays increasingly probably, where w. some ages old methods maintained the good results have been achieved, like fx the orchards and 'natural gardens' (That in the Rousseauist sense of that term, and likewise other old 'cultivation systems'). 
 

(; Pic - ...Seed of an Upland Cotton (G.hirsutum). From cotton the major amount of the fabrics in the world today are manufactured. ; Some ot the peculiarities of the 'Columbia exchange' that an other common name of it is  'the Indian cotton', while seems it mentioned by origin not even having grown there. ; ...It's relative easy to grow as an indoor plant even while typically is cultivated at fields on the warmer regions. 'Though, my few sowed plants didn't seem develop any bloomings during our brief summer.(...but then I also learned the aspects usually noted from and about, growing cotton consumes vast amounts water, also needs quite much fertilization - The latter also perhaps reason to that it appears most vulnerable for pests. Formerly at least it was said about 10 per cent from all pesticides used in the world on cotton fields, while it's cultivation areas making only some percents of the total). ; Soforth, historically represents also a most typical example of a plant whose production was brought for an European colonies (and the imported production was directed, already at 19th centurys, to benefit the continents own textile industries.) 
 
; ...Notwithstanding the above said aspects, I'm quite as accustomed for the import fruits, tubers and possibly some other veggies than any northern consumer, but I yet find there's hardly any reason from 'raise flags' on behalf of the meat importment system as any very ecological solutions for wordly problems. Remains it so that, next to the consumption code, the meats on diets make probably the largest climate-stressing entity in the present world.

(Most efficent and easiest, while not the most direct, way to affect on that for the western consumers appears for reducing their visits to that meat-shelf, as I've noted elsewhere. Consumers, the 'subordinate flock', of course are from largest part obligatory to their 'guides' and how the so called 'advisors' act, ...and, say, sometimes you notice also the 'false advisories/beliefs' (...etc.) like we've noted priorly on some occasion.)

; Relating for above said, sometimes of an attention, appears an aspect that almost without exeptions any island (also large ones, like fx the New Zealand, or England) have in during the human pasts suffered more severely of the human overuse of resources, just due because them provided limited resources by origin. ;...So, somehow I find these views unpleasantly comparable for that what seems been noted about that famous capt. Cook (1728-79), who, when the shriek was, aloud, 'Tally ho!' (or maybe the proper words said instead 'Land Ho!'), was by first sight viewing only those originally massive woodlands on that distant island and mostly thought for the masts and timber them would provide for his fleet(s).  (That so, as acc. my readings some of it's ancient original forests (of the NZ, ie) in during the 1800s, or within some past 150 years, were greatly levelled and said reduced of an estimated '...1.6 million hectares to barely 18,420 acres' [...equivalent to about 7.5 thousand hectares, seems it written] ; Hageneder.)  Even if the majority, or not even any larger tracts, from those perhaps weren't in time transferred for fields to the natural lawn-movers, the sheep. (Also, as well is true that during the recent decades times, or about, on ecological literatures seem these 'pasturing methods' been noted to an more eco-savy alternatives for the wasteful livestocks maintenance and/or the massive production units. But also, the transport economy, boats, flights, cars whatsoever vehicles, not anyhow an insignificant whole when thinking the 'ecological burden' of those modern food-production system.) Anyhow, human efforts on agriculture as well tend in time – rapidly or slow - to have long-lasting ecological imprint. The larger any form of production, the larger always are it's sidecauses, ie problems.

However, we have no necessity for dwell only on meats and farming at this (post) only. ; Likewise, as those questions about transports and production, I find fx the references on that 'Malthusian trap'(1) only quite inadequate. ...Considering that island is an island, but globally the dilemma from the human population growth and exhaustement of natural resources are as timely aspects as before still. ; Also, I think that the agricultural failures of the Mao's reforms in the China (at their time) rather merely good-to-know, but during the 1990s most of that already, by conservatives and right-wing voices (...probably, I never actually bother reading them...) has been quite repeatedly presented from and about (On the other hand it's also true that even on the present modern interconnected world, of many parts of the world, sometimes we are surprisingly little aware about some things behind 'the great wall of silence'). Still, famine always is a human tragedy on any sense, and the  stubborn maintenance of the inefficient and unreasonable agricultural methods no defendable by any sense, but why not also devote few words on consequences of an global inequality of this global capitalist world economy? (Although the major direct causes most usually been the wars. But the problems from the inequality always are not very far. The Ethiopia on 1980s probably most well-known example, yet number more recent cases too.)

; ...But also, I think book has many aspects quite thoroughly discussed, so not a bad reading for to get some overall view about the agricultural pasts and foods on human history. (W. the few above noted reservations of mine considering, I mean to say, of course.) Fx the chapters from past agricultural advancements were interesting too (...ao from the 'new food crops' and their acquiring and transfer to the European regions, and elsewhere ie meaning the Columbian exchange, plus fx the invention and development of the modern nitrogen-rich fertilizers since around the turn from 1900s.) ...Even that I don't think about that nearly so positively (than Standage seems to), as I actually think it's usually better to preserve than develop, an aspect that in the world of limited resources can't be enough emphasized. 

 

Yet, in combined also is that on past times some from major questions, ecologically and socially, seems tied for aspects relating what are the best agricultural methods – concerning the uses of farms and fields. Both always demand, more or less, land areas for production and while I think there would be hardly any reasons for to seek for higher yields at our 'developed' regions of world (people already waste so much of the actual foods and provision here in these late-capitalist societies), any culture/country can't escape the agricultural questions as it makes a very constitutional basis of any society. (Like often noted, major political events, such as the early 20^th century's Russian, and -90's Sovjet, revolutions were originally set off by questions of the food...or, merely the lack from it.)  In spite of anything the major question - some that most societies obviously shall face, sooner ot later - is from how to use those limited resources and land more sustainably (merely than how effectively). Unfortunately, the way people usually tend think about agricultures, since long has always been tied for an increase of yields, ie for the larger efficiency and ever enlargening harvests (One from reasons for why we happen in the modern world have so boring environments, the monocultural landscape. Best solution, I think, the more environmental-lasting solutions – the more natural landscape w. trees, bushes, et sim, surrounding/within the human food cultivations. That not so easy and simple as it may seem put on this way, though...) Likewise there are of course number aspects that I on this post only barely mentioned; The mitigation of the agricultural run-off (ie the run-off from fertilizers used, ao nitrgoen) ; And indeed the question about what are the proper agricultural methods concerning the ever enlargened levels of populations at the modern world. And other things, but I believe the production methods closer for the actual natural environment(s) and the adequate protection and care of the environments for only considerable long-term solutions of those.

; Related to above said, Rousseau's times economic thinkers were indeed in perfect knowledge of the society basic principles, when stating the view that commerce, trade and merchants, don't actually produce any value to the society, only agriculture does. Ecologically it's even easier prove, for no other organism except humans in this planet (Earth) trades anything, or has any role for merchandise, they only exchange – or beg, steal, borrow, offer gifts, usurpation even – but not ever trades. (I don't care to look for where I might've stolen that preceding nice view-point on economics.) On the same basis is then also easy conclude that not agricultural (world) market necessary needed follow some system of the commercial pricing, or, I mean, the agricultural goods market in general should be based on some differing principle. At least concerning some of staples/the major crops that should fall under some different system from their pricing. (Would then become necessarily from have some supervision of that system, I don't claim of knowing from what kind or by what standards...). 

 (; Pic - The tomatoes made my most harvestable bunch on summer. Tomatoes also are example about plants w. some long-term human intentional breeding (at pasts and present times). So the variety of these small tomatoes, I grew past summer, named Red Pendulum, seems even praised to  the some of very best varieties. ...Can't disagree, for it was still producing some fruit until the early October colds (...of which time the pic taken. Even that most from the leaves had fallen off priorly). Unlike this in the pic, I had the others grown at the pots on garden greenhouse shed. ;  I used almost solely the organic fertilizers (such as biobact) on them, although, to make sure of their growth also invariably some small amounts of the general ferlizer. The inferior June-season made me worry whether they woould even grow...but were the most successfull of my various cultvations.


; ...And then I also had some other typical cultivates grown, like the squash, potatoes, regular tomatos.; ...The yellow fruit in the pic is a squash (...while didn't produce much, I actually experimented from growing it on a claypot. And noticed that completely possible, but the pot has to be large enough, and needs lot more of fertilization than if culvating it on a ground soil. Even that squash generally need much watering, in pots them consume less, which the typical major advantage on growing at pots. ...-So I guess, even while not too successful, this experiment of mine taught me smtgh.)

(Actually I've said at this quite little, as the scope of agricultures, it's past and the long centuries of its history, seems overally such large and multisided aspect on some few pages like this.) But, b-t-w seems on that Standage's book also written that the referred industrial revolution of Britains (on 1800s) was largely fuelled by the system having rested on Ireland used for some 'agricultural colony'; I-o-w, as a region where workers cultivated potatoes for their own uses, typically at yards or some 'inferior lands', ie: (By the early 1840s) ”…imports from Ireland were supplying one sixth of England's food. […] The English could only keep on eating bread, in short because Irish were eating potatoes. By sustaining irish farm workers, the potato helped fuel the first decades of British industrialization.”)

; Also, I guess, here as elsewhere, nowadays large part on peoples shopping lists also consists from ready-mades and manufactured foods...How surprising then, that those typically represent the least healthy and least tasty stuff of the foods available at sales shops. (Plus acknowledge the unnecesssary packing waste.)

Anyhow, I think the book for quite informative reading, albeit I suppose it useful to view a few other sources as well to acquire a more complete picture from it, all in all. ...Unfortunately I've not any time on that at the moment (And don't know if I would have on any close futures).

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; Like said my major cultivation/gardening hobbies were maintained in the very hobbyist manner, not for any serious effort, or any that kind, etc. I actually meant devote major parts of this post on my experiences about cultivated food plants...but seems that now I happened put so much sentences at that 'introduction', I only place a few descriptions within there pics, here and there.  

 

; (Pic - The flower of an Eggplant (Solanum melongena). It's a plant somehow of slight 'malformed' by looks...but the blooms are actually rather enchanting like on many of the solanum. I didn't expect much from my grown eggplants as them were sowed so late in the Spring (The advice here is to pregrow the seedlings already late from March). But I had some British variety apparently adapted on bit colder climates so, to my surprises, them even produced some fruits. (While not much, and would've not been cultivable unless been grown in the greenhouse. Also, I was obliged use quite much chemial fertizers on them...unlike from many other plants didn't seem noticeably exposuring them for pests attacks. ...Guess on good summer migth've possibly been grown even without those, at the greenhouse, while eggplants need a good amout sunshine and good moisture.)  ; I also grew fx some water-melon and beans, but neither made practically any harvest. ...of eggplant seems it also said them brought to south-Europes already at the 15th century, to a more northern regions considerably later times.  

As I wasn't maintaining any actual subsistence agriculture (2) – while I've grown some crops on that manner too (It's gained popularity in the more recent times here too), my cultivations actually consisted mostly from the principally 'tropical plants' (...by origin.). On many cases – w. my limited experience, sort of 'green thumb in the middle of tongue', all from those didn't make too good harvests. (For example, the maizes and sweet peppers I've simply noted merely rather warm-dependent from growing well here, and I actually only experimented w. them w. a few plants. Also, I noticed both quite demanding grow on this North by solely w. the organic methods I mostly maintained. (...while completely possible.) I've noted maize began cultivated here recently from some amounts also by local farmers and it appears on a good sunny summer possible successfully grow on an open field too. Well, the summer also wasn't very good, albeit not so bad either.

; ...However, a few words about my various spring-/and summertime sowings. I suppose, must have grown from seed nearly some 30 species as the garden-, cultivables-, and indoor-plants, during the past season. Among them were also flowers, decorative/ornamental plants and trees. ...Guess it would make rather normal average for any professional 'entrepreuner' or experienced gardener, but also usually, seems it advised from to select a bit less plants by number for to keep good care from each cultivated. (Well, actually I only offered some 'horses hoofs' for that advice, which might've also been the reason some of my sowings grew rather poorly, or scarcely at all. But was it funny and inspiring, anyway...)

Additinally worth of mention, I discovered this hobby of mine not only laborous, but also for a very limitless source for observations ('The miracle of growth', like my grandfather once said on his very steadfast manner). In short, I had w. these plants many joyous moments only from watching over these during the summery Months. (...Yet, I guess I'll devote my future gardening times on a bit lesser number of species. Just for because I also discovered that each species of plant is a singular 'experiment' - possessing it's own kind of need from care and maintenance, to put that in other words. But indeed, I learned that growing your own plants, for the foods or for some decoratives (fx,) is the way for actual proper understanding about the natural processes, the surrounding life around us all.) ; ...However, it's of course quite important to also take some notice which seeds/species to use on any place, in the home-garden you can cultivate (almost) any sorts of plants, but in the 'open spot' it's wiser to specify on some that are known for usual and common, if not even endemic species to any particular region. (Means, ie some w. somewhat longer cultivations history on one's own areas. Of course multitudes food plants are grown on anyplaces these times.). If we then step to also mention that gardens probably are been the largest source from spread of the harmful and colonising intrusive weeds/plants, I guess we've priorly said enough often from this 'important to know' aspect.

Frankly, growing your own garden-/farming-plants of the seed is rather time-taking in comparison to (nowdays) more usual manner from acquiring prior-grown some, but every manner more rewarding (Of course not all species you can't grow yourself). By growing your own, you are in the direct interactive relation to the land, operating closer the actual origin to our being, the Earth. And no wonder then that the seeds sometimes been so central and lot discussed aspect concerning that global 'agri-world-market', too (Seeds of the food crops and the occasional purported efforts from their global control, would've likely represent an aspect of some additional notices/words. But...for now suffices it to say that there's a lot traditional knowledge, and also one gains some familiarity via fx collecting 'new growth' of one's own sowings. At least from some of them as I do nowadays. (; W-G.)

; ...the 'raider' on this post, guess, would carry the name Climate change/global warming (The more biblical terms, would've been 'hunger' and 'the flood', but these days the former is seen often as some synonyme for both those...so from that reason)  ; (The earlier referred Frog-Beth we now have postpone for a bit too, but wait...).

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; (Some) books ; 
...that were needed on my organic gardening-hobbies

; All are rather good books about gardening (and, fx from herbs presented on prior post). 

(Some might be out-of-print though, I suppose).

Bergen: Uttehagen på knatten – en bok om urter, mat och meget annat. (1973)

Kreuter: Der Biogarten (1988)

Schneebeli-Morrell: Organic crops in pots ; how to grow your own vegetables, fruits and herbs. (2009)

Walfridson: Odla i kruken (1993)

(Hageneder: The Living Wisdom of Trees (about on 2000s)

 (Pic) ; Also I  had some Broccoli planted late summer...but majority of those didn't well take on (during early summer cold, ao reasons). Anyhow I noticed it having the nice flowering stems too...and so we have a pic about bee at this post too...

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(1) ; - Malt-hu-sian [Briefly defined] - '...pertaining to the theories of T.R. Malthus, which state that population tends to increase faster, at a geometrical ratio, than the means of subsistence, which increases at an arithmetical ratio, and that this will result in an inadequate supply of the goods supporting life...' ; Malthus, Thomas Robert (1766-1834), English economist and clergyman. ; (Webster's), -94 ed.

(2 ); - The subsistence agriculture synonom for: 'Subsistence farming' – '1. Farming whose products are intended to provide for the basic needs of the farmer, with little surplus for marketing. ...' (; Webster's)

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; (Pic) 'Bowl' from of Gooseberries...my favorites amongst delicacies our northern berry-bushes at gardens on late summer grow by plenty...

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