The older generation often uses "the four bodies are not diligent, and the five grains are not divided" to criticize the younger generation. Contemporary people have lived in cities for a long time and have few opportunities to deal with the yellow earth. Although you can't be diligent in the four bodies, you can still do it by dividing the five grains.
Zhou Li has a record: "Nourish his illness with five flavors, five grains, and five medicines." (Zheng Xuan's note: "Five grains, hemp, millet, millet, wheat, and beans.") ”)
The five grains here refer to hemp, millet, millet, wheat, and beans.
Mencius Tengwen Gong Shang": "Arboriculture grains, the grains are ripe and the people breed them." Zhao Qi's note: "The five grains are rice, millet, millet, wheat, and soybean." ”
What we usually call five grains refers to rice, millet, millet, wheat, and soybean. That is, rice, yellow rice, millet, wheat and beans.
1. Rice. Rice is known as the "mother of grains". It has a long history. In the distant prehistoric period, wild rice took root and grew in the land of China. Our ancestors keenly captured its edibility and opened a chapter in the dance of rice and human destiny.
Rice has endless value. Rice husks are used as feed for animals and as building materials. Straw can be used to weave straw ropes, make straw sandals, and weave clothes. The surplus rice can also be used for sake brewing.
Rice originated in China More than 10,000 years old rice phytoliths have been found in numerous sites in the Yangtze River basin in China, suggesting that rice appeared in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China around 10,000 years ago.
From simple gathering to large-scale cultivation, rice has gradually become the staple food in human life**. During the Majiabang culture more than 6,000 years ago, wild rice was domesticated and its kernels became plump and became food for humans. As a result, China has become the birthplace of the world's rice civilization.
Rice cultivation techniques are constantly developing and improving.
During the Tang Dynasty, rice became the main ration of the people. Rice is grown in many parts of the Yellow River Basin. From the Song and Yuan dynasties to the Ming and Qing dynasties, rice cultivation made significant progress in both the north and the south.
During the Song Dynasty, the rice ripening system was upgraded from one crop a year to two crops a year. The Song Dynasty built embankments in southern Hebei and Nanyang, Henan to expand the planting area.
The "Book of Agriculture" of the Yuan Dynasty recorded that Shaanxi, Henan and other places innovated and opened up wasteland, and the rice harvest doubled.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the cultivation of rice fields in the north was greatly expanded, and even Xinjiang and ** also carried out planting. In the southern region, the rice ripening system has been upgraded to three crops a year. Double-cropping continuous cropping rice and double-cropping intercropping rice are widely distributed, which further solves the problem of more people eating.
The ancient people have accumulated rich experience in rice cultivation technology, such as fire cultivation and water rake, crop rotation and intercropping, etc., which have increased yields and witnessed the development of agricultural science and technology.
Second, millet. Millet, also known as yellow rice and millet seeds, is collectively known as millet along with corn. The origin of millet is not determined.
Millet is a drought-tolerant, cold-tolerant, and adaptable crop. It is one of the main foods of people in the northern region**.
One of the major characteristics of ancient Chinese agriculture was the cultivation of rice in the south and millet in the north.
3. Millet. Millet is millet, and after being shelled, it becomes millet.
Millet is the length of the five grains.
It was one of the main food crops in ancient China. China is one of the origins of millet. At present, the earliest cultivated millet found by archaeology comes from the Donghulin site in Mentougou, Beijing, which is the earliest millet grain found in the world between 9,000 and 10,000 years ago.
There is a record in the Book of Songs that "millet is heavy", and the "millet" here refers to millet.
Millet cultivation techniques have evolved to increase yields. Ancient farmers gradually increased the yield of millet by selecting excellent varieties, improving planting methods, fertilizing, irrigation, etc.
During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, people had mastered the technique of "raking grass", and farmers turned the land deep to loosen the soil. There is also a "crop rotation" system, in which different crops are planted on the same plot of land in turn to increase production efficiency.
With the development of history, millet has gradually replaced its position by wheat and rice, but it is still used as a staple food in some areas. Millet is rich in nutritional value, rich in protein, fat, carbohydrates, and various vitamins and minerals, which are of great benefit to human health.
Fourth, wheat. Wheat is a widely cultivated food crop in the world, originating from the two river basins. In the late Neolithic period, 5,000 years ago, wheat was already cultivated in China.
There is a record of wheat in the Book of Songs. There is a record in "The Wind and Sangzhong": Picking WheatThe north of the mountain.
With the passage of time, wheat has gradually become popular in our country and has become one of the main foods of people in the northern region**.
After the Qin and Han dynasties, the status of millet and millet as staple foods gradually declined, and the status of wheat rose.
After the Han Dynasty, the planting area and yield of wheat in China continued to increase. During the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, in order to improve the food of the army, the cultivation of wheat was vigorously promoted.
After the Sui and Tang dynasties, the status of wheat-based wheat crops rose. In the Tang Dynasty, wheat has become one of the most important food crops in northern China.
In the Song Dynasty, with the advancement of agricultural production technology, wheat cultivation technology was further developed. People use a crop rotation system in which wheat is planted in rotation with other crops to maintain the fertility of the land. Wheat yields are also continuously increased through the selection of superior varieties, fertilization, irrigation, etc.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the planting area and yield of wheat in China reached a historical peak. During this period, the number of late rice and wheat multi-cropping increased, and the area under wheat cultivation expanded. Wheat is not only used for food, but also for making food products such as flour and pastries, as well as in brewing and farming.
Fifth, soybean. It is the name of soybeans in ancient times. In ancient times, soybeans were widely used in food, feed, and fertilizers.
There are records of soybeans in ancient literature. This shows that soybean has received extensive attention and application in ancient society.
During the Warring States period, it became one of the important food crops.
In the Han Dynasty, with the advancement of agricultural production technology, the planting area and yield of soybeans continued to increase. With the development of history, soybeans have gradually shifted from staple food to non-staple food. It is used to make foods such as tofu and soy milk, as well as in the brewing and farming industries.