Chapter 112: Curved Plow

The refining of fine salt was regarded as one of Eddard's great inventions, and the Maesters grew increasingly respectful of him.

Especially Maester Luwin; having served Eddard for over a decade, this was the first time he realized Eddard possessed the potential of an inventor.

From then on, whether it was Maester Farmer, who excelled in agriculture and minerals, Maester Norman, who excelled in medicine, or Maester Duosite, who excelled in mysticism and the study of magic, whenever they had a question, they would seek Eddard's advice, and they soon discovered Eddard's erudition.

Maesters possess a natural thirst for knowledge; they serve their lords out of duty, but to make this group of Maesters truly convinced and submissive is an incredibly difficult task.

Eddard wanted to develop these Maesters who had newly joined Winterfell into a think tank and keep them in Winterfell for the long term; relying on money alone was far from enough. Eddard hoped to conduct research with the Maesters and let them understand that even far from the Citadel, one could still pursue scholarship and make inventions; only then would the Maesters have a sense of belonging to Winterfell.

This day, Eddard brought Maester Duosite, Maester Farmer, and Maester Norman to the storehouse, where Maester Luwin took out a strange plow.

This was the Curved Plow that Eddard had ordered Maester Luwin to craft some time ago.

Currently in Westeros, what is used for tilling fields is the Heavy Plow, which requires five to eight plow horses to pull, wasting both human and animal labor. In the North, due to climate reasons, the soil is harder than in the Reach or the Riverlands, making plowing in the North even more strenuous.

Out of consideration for increasing production efficiency, Eddard invented the Curved Plow, though it had not yet been officially put into use.

"The smith who made this plow must have been drunk, right?" the gaunt Maester Duosite stroked the curved beam of the plow. "Look, this beam is actually bent."

Maester Norman, the "Old White-Headed Man" who excelled in medicine, frowned, "This kind of plow is too delicate; it cannot be used."

Maester Luwin smiled, "This is the Curved Plow invented by Lord Eddard. I have always told Lord Eddard that this kind of Curved Plow certainly cannot be as useful as the Heavy Plow, but Lord Eddard would not listen."

Upon hearing that it was Eddard's invention, the several Maesters became even more interested.

Maester Farmer, who excelled in agriculture and minerals, held deep feelings for the earth. During his days in Winterfell, he spent most of his time on the estate, chatting with the tenant farmers who tilled the land and examining the condition of the soil and crops; regarding farm tools, Maester Farmer was the most familiar.

Maester Farmer rolled up his dirty sleeves, squatted down his fat body, and carefully examined the Curved Plow.

"Lord Eddard, the Curved Plow you invented is lighter and more agile than the Heavy Plow, but it may not be practical. The heavy plow can turn the soil; in the process of plowing, it mixes weeds, stubble, and manure into the soil, increasing the land's fertility. Being so light, can the Curved Plow achieve this?"

Eddard said calmly: "Let us go to the fields, and let practice give us the answer!"

The guard Dawson, taking two Winterfell men-at-arms, loaded the Curved Plow onto a wagon and followed Eddard and the Maesters to a Stark Estate near Winterfell.

Seven farmers were driving six plow horses to pull a Heavy Plow to till the land; as soon as they saw Eddard arrive, these farmers hurried over to greet him.

A white-haired old man bowed and said: "Lord Eddard, why have you come?"

Eddard pointed his finger at the Curved Plow on the wagon, "Your Heavy Plow is too strenuous for tilling the land; try my Curved Plow."

The farmers and the Winterfell men-at-arms moved the Curved Plow down together, and a group of elderly farmers pointed and gestured at the Curved Plow.

"Why is this plow so strangely shaped?"

"One look and you can tell the carpenter cut corners."

"How can this kind of plow till the land? Isn't this a joke?"

Hearing the farmers' words, Maester Luwin leaned over, "Lord Eddard, the farmers are illiterate, but they deal with plows every day; their understanding of farm tools exceeds that of Maesters. Since even the farmers say the Curved Plow cannot be used, I think this Curved Plow, in all likelihood, cannot be promoted for use."

Maester Duosite echoed, "Indeed, Lord Eddard, let us hurry back!"

"Since we have already come to the fields, we must try it no matter what." Eddard and the guard Dawson helped the farmers harness the Curved Plow. Originally, the Heavy Plow required six plow horses to pull, while the Curved Plow only needed two.

Eddard personally gripped the Curved Plow, and two farmers drove the plow horses to begin tilling the land; the plowshare was used for breaking the soil, the moldboard for turning the soil, the plow bottom and plow point for securing the plow head, the plow arrow and plow beam adjustment for regulating the depth of the plowing, the plow handle for controlling the width, and the plow disc could rotate, making it easy to use and flexible to turn.

The Curved Plow was clearly more flexible than the Heavy Plow; the plow body could sway during tilling, and at the end of the field where it turned, it could easily make a U-turn.

Maester Luwin, Maester Duosite, Maester Norman, and the group of farmers who had originally questioned the practicality of the Curved Plow were all stunned.

When Eddard finished plowing a circle with the Curved Plow and returned to this end of the field, Maester Luwin, Maester Farmer, Maester Duosite, and Maester Norman were all circling the Curved Plow as if they had seen a mythical beast.

Maester Norman stroked the Curved Plow, "This is truly a great invention! The Curved Plow only uses two horses, while the Heavy Plow requires seven for the same work. The efficiency of tilling has been greatly improved. Lord Eddard, what exactly is the principle behind this?"

Eddard feigned mystery, "You can slowly learn the principles from me."

Maester Farmer looked worshipful, "Lord Eddard, your talent truly makes me admire you. I have dedicated myself to the improvement of farm tools at the Citadel for decades, day after day, yet I have never achieved any breakthrough. The Archmaesters of the Conclave at the Citadel dedicate themselves to history, finance, medicine, mysticism, and other studies, and they have never been able to take an interest in agriculture. To put it bluntly, the old pedants at the Citadel do not care about the life or death of the farmers."

"Lord Eddard personally researching the Curved Plow is better than what the Maesters have done; you are truly our role model. The spirit of combining creativity with utility is exactly what the Citadel lacks and is worth our learning."

Eddard grasped Maester Farmer's hand, "To let my people be well-fed and clothed has always been my wish, and this cannot be separated from the study of agriculture. Maester Farmer, we can research together in the future."

"When I return to Winterfell, I will have Mikken, the master of the forge, lead the smiths to craft the plow heads for the Curved Plow and have the carpenters begin production of the Curved Plow. I hope that in a few months, every estate within our Winterfell territory will be able to use the Curved Plow."

Nowadays, four-fifths of the residents of Winter Town have joined the Stark Estate and become tenant farmers of House Stark. The rent for tenant farmers is slightly higher than that of ordinary farmers, but they can use Winterfell's plow horses, oxen, and farm tools for free.

One must know that in any region of Westeros, livestock is the greatest asset for farmers. This is very tempting for those farmers who lack livestock. Eddard believes that once the Curved Plow is promoted, the tilling efficiency of Winterfell and the North will both improve, and the North will embark on a path of prosperity.

Thanks to the book friend "Searching for Peerless Good Books" for the monthly ticket, thank you for the support!

(End of chapter)