Study On The Agricultural Geography Of The Eastern Fujian In Ming Dynasty

The eastern Fujian in Ming Dynasty included Fuzhou Prefecture and Funing prefecture directly governed by provincial government,which is generally the majority of Fuzhou and Ningde in Fujian Province today.The eastern Fujian is on the edge of the East China Sea,and its climate is mild and rainy.It has more mountains and less lands,and the soil is mostly red soil.In Ming Dynasty,the eastern Fujian had dense population and abundant water conservancy construction,therefore the agricultural development conditions were relatively superior.Paddy rice was the staple food in the eastern Fujian in Ming Dynasty.Affected by terrain and hydrothermal factors,double-cropping rice was mainly distributed in the eastern coastal and plain areas,while single-cropping rice was mainly distributed in the western mountainous areas;In the meantime,the counties in Eastern Fujian were planted with multigrain crops,such as wheat,millet,beans,and sweet potatoes.Although the varieties and planting methods of food crops had been developed,the total output of food still cannot meet the needs of the society and required external supply.The economic crops cultivated in the eastern Fujian in the Ming Dynasty includedthe fiber crops,sugar crops,addictive food crops,dyes crops and fruits and vegetables had wide varieties and distribution.However,as a result of market effect,cash crops had different development.Apart from the cultivation of grain crops and economic crops,the people of the eastern Fujian also operated sideline businesses,mainly forestry and aquaculture.As for the forestry industry,each county took advantage of the mountain areas to cultivate artificial forests such as Chinese fir and bamboo according to the local conditions.As for the breeding industry,poultries and livestock attached to household production were generally bred in the counties,and the fishery was mainly distributed in the eastern coastal counties.Limited by the location of land and sea and the condition of water and heat,the distribution of agriculture in the eastern Fujian varies among the counties in Ming dynasty.The development of agricultural economy in the eastern Fujian in Ming dynasty promoted the commercialization of agricultural products.