宋末至明初江南农业变化的特点和历史地位──十三、十四世纪江南农业变化探讨之四

CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES AND HISTORICAL POSITIONS OF AGRICULTURAL CHANGES IN JIANGNAN FROM THE LATE SONG TO THE EARLY MING

本文是作者“十三、十四世纪江南农业变化探讨”系列论文的最后一篇。在该系列前三篇论文讨论的基础上，作者试图在本文中，归纳总结宋末至明初江南农业变化的主要特点和历史地位。首先，作者指出：此时期江南农业变化具有明显的时空特点。这种特点，从时间的方面来说，主要表现为人口、耕地、技术、经营方式等的变化，具有程度不等的周期性；而从空间的方面来说，则主要表现为变化的重点从江南的西部，逐渐转移到江南的东部。如果忽视这种时空特点，以一种“直线发展”的眼光来看此时期江南的农业变化，就难免得出“停滞”甚至“倒退”的结论。其次，作者认为：要正确地评价此时江南农业变化的历史地位，就应把这些变化放到一个更长的历史时期中，与其前的唐宋时期和其后的明清时期内的变化进行比较，看看这些变化的性质和趋向是相同还是相异。比较的结果是：从人口、耕地、技术、经营方式等方面来看，江南宋末至明初江南农业的变化，与唐宋或明清的变化都朝着同一方面，因而是性质相同的。至于变化速度上的差异，也可以用周期性来解释，不应视为重大逆转。因此，在自唐代至清代的一千多年的江南农业发展史上，十三、十四世纪确实是一个有若干重要变化的时期，但绝不是一个可以称之为“转折”的时期。?

This is the second one of a series of articles written by the author on agricultural changes in Jiangnan during the period of the Song-YuangMing transition. The focus of this article is on changes in four main aspects of farm technology in Jiangnan during the period, changes in varieties of rice, farm tools, fertilize use and cropping systems. Singnificant ad- vances were achieved in all these aspects. Specifically,the advances in varieties of rice were reflected by an improving understanding of major varieties and sub-varieties of rice, especial- ly of intermediate and late rice. This better understanding, of course,was based on progress made in selection and breeding. The invention and widespread use of tieda(铁搭）ａｎｄtian- dang（田荡） were the most important among all advances in farm tools during this period. The two new tools were so importand ,not only because their use was of a great help in im- proving work efficiency in paddy production,but because the use of tieda was key to wheat planting in ridge which was crucial to double cropping of rice and wheat in paddy. Growing wide use of fertilizer in open fields signified a new era. This development was a result of an increase of the kinds of fertilizer and an improvement of processing technique of fertilizer. All progress in varieties of rice,farm tools and fertilizer use contributed greatly to the ap- pearance and spread of a new and inore advanced cropping regime-double cropping of rice and winter dry-land'. crops (wheat, beans and rapeseed J which represented one of the greatest achievements in Jiangnan Per-mian agricultural history. This cropping system expanded steadily in Jiangnan during this period,though there would still be a long way to go for this cropping pattern to be dominant. All these advances marked a period of technological progress .