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A Social And Economical Study On Farm Instruments And Wells Of North China In The 20~(th) Century

Posted on:2005-08-12Degree:DoctorType:Dissertation
Country:ChinaCandidate:H Q ZhuFull Text:PDF
GTID:1116360122993056Subject:History of science and technology
Abstract/Summary:PDF Full Text Request
Anciently, the research of farm instrument mainly concentrated on its natural character such as structure, figure, function and usage rather than its social and economical aspect. Farm instruments and wells are important facilities for farmers in rural area, and have compact relations with environment, life style, convention and economical status of certain area. In this paper, farm instruments are put in daily life of farmers in order to discuss its relations with zoology, farmhouse economy and rural society. Culture of matter is a process of ecology in which human adapts to nature. Meanwhile, culture of matter is a part of social relations that human made for living. The manner of production and the instruments system restrict production and life style of human, and their change will modify the social relations and ideas of human.People choose instruments by certain environment and the demand of agricultural technology. In the first half of the 20th century, North China had abundant kinds of farm instruments. Although they were simple, less efficient and manpower cost, they adapt to climate, soil, farming and working habit of North China. They belong to an integrated agricultural system of North China, and embodied farmers wisdom of understanding and using of nature.In the first half of the 20th century, in North China, farmers invested little on farm instruments, and capital of farm instruments had a small proportion in agricultural capital. The amount of farm instruments owned by farmers had tight relations with their infield. Rich farmers kept large plantation and invested more on farm instruments. Poor farmers had little infield and lack of large farm instruments, so they often cooperated with other farmers or borrowed farm instruments from the rich. Farmers equipped their farming instruments according to their economical and social resources.In Chinese traditional agricultural society, most farmers had small infields, but the process of agricultural production needed some large farm instruments, some times needed cattle, horses, ass and mule. These things were costliness and not used frequently. It was not economy to equip them for each poor family, so zone-trait cooperative ways of using farm instruments formed in rural areas to solve the shortage of farm instruments and labor . Thissort of cooperative way was mutual benefit, and showed convention of neighborhood, relatives and economical relations. The cooperation happened in economy also caused judgment of credit and emotion that left in villagers' hart effecting further intercourse of villagers. The criterion of judgment was ethic and rules recognized by society at that time.Grind and milling had a high prices and threshing floor needed a large piece of land. These things were not able to equip by every family. Some villages had these things for public use, and some villages had not, but private tools could be made use of by other villagers freely. This was a traditional system devolved for generations, and embodied the exist ethic that all villagers had rights to make life with recourses they could control. Villagers took good care of these public facilities and formed a set of conventions and action rulesBecause of dryness of climate, irrigation played an important role in farming of North China, where water source almost depend on wells. Wells irrigated 80%~90% infield. Since irrigating and drinking all depended on wells, wells became an important factor that determined the distributing and scale of villages. Wells for irrigation were mainly made from brick of earth, and water was bailed by mandarin duck pot, windlass, mill wheel and so on. Although irrigation could enhance output greatly, not all farmers could sink wells because of the economy and infield scales. In the first half of the 20th century ,in North China, villages had a lot of custom using and maintaining wells, such as sharing the irrigating wells or borrowing. Wells for drinking could use freely, which meant anyone could get water for drink from any well and the own...
Keywords/Search Tags:the 20th century, north China, farm instruments, wells, rural society and economy
PDF Full Text Request
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