民国时期华北小麦生产与农民生活考察

Study on Wheat Production and Peasants’ Lives in North China during the Republic of China

从民国建立到抗战之前,华北地区小麦种植面积和总产量均呈增长趋势,在粮食作物产量和播种面积份额中逐渐占据第一位,但小麦单产却一直维持在较低的水平上。这一时期小麦播种面积增长的主要因素是小麦商品性生产的推动。铁路交通和城镇市场的发展、机器面粉业的兴起,以及棉花等经济作物生产区域性的增强,促进了小麦的需求和运销。同时,农业生产、农民生活与市场的联系日益紧密,农民为生计所迫,主要以扩大种植面积的方式增加小麦生产;并粜精籴粗,用细粮换杂粮充饥,将更多的小麦销往市场。近代华北小麦良种及先进麦作技术的推广应用非常有限,与小麦面积扩展及其商品率提高相伴随的是传统种植技术和落后的生产条件,导致小麦生产效益很低。虽然出售小麦、编制草帽缏、用麦秸喂牛等成为农家维持生计的重要手段,但它没有也不可能促成华北农村经济的根本好转,农民生活依旧贫穷困苦。

From the establishment of the Republic of China to the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, the planting area and total output of wheat showed a tendency to increase in North China, which were greater than other grains＇ areas in this region, however, the unit yield still stayed a lower level. During this period, the commercial production of wheat stimulated peasants to expand the planting area, also, railway transportation, urban crops markets as well as mechanized flour industry developed quickly, besides, the production of industrial crops such as cotton showed an obvious tendency to regional development, all of which contributed to the demand, transportation and sales of wheat. Meanwhile, agricultural production and peasants＇ lives related more closely to the markets, facing the press of life, peasants had to purchase cheaper side crops to appease their hunger through selling wheat at higher price, which promoted more wheat to markets. During the Republic of China, the limitation of extension and application of new technology were quite limited. Cultivating technology stagnated and production conditions still fell behind, therefore, productivity effect of wheat were rather low. Under the above-mentioned social and economic conditions, the increase of wheat production was extremely difficult in North China. Selling wheat, weaving plaited straw and feeding cattle with wheat straw were main means of livelihood for peasants＇ families, however, all of these didn＇t manage to facilitate the radical improvement of rural economy in North China, and peasants there still lived hard lives.