Farm technology

If we consider technological advance to be the first appearance of a new technology, then almost all of Jiangnan's most important advances did come before 1620. These advances led to the emergence, in the Ming period, of the ‘new double-cropping system' of double-cropping rice and winter crops (wheat, beans, and rapeseed).¹¹ Mulberry and cotton farming technology also developed early, though was limited to particular areas.

But as a historical process, technological advance has a double character: first, techniques continue to improve after their initial appearance; and second, the new techniques are applied widely after some time has passed, especially in the pre-modern period.¹² Only after the use of a new technique has become widespread, can it have a major influence on economic change. If we view agricultural technological change in Jiangnan in this way, we find that although most of the major technological improvements were completed before 1620, these technological advances did not spread and come into common usage in the whole region until the Qing period. Moreover, although there were fewer new techniques invented, Jiangnan still witnessed some important technological progress in the period under study. Fertilizer technology is a particular case. The widespread use of bean cakes

represents one of the most significant technological advances in Jiangnan agricultural history and can be called a ‘fertilizer revolution’.” In addition, there were many other technological improvements which may not have been very conspicuous, nor very expensive, but all of them very useful.

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