Industrialized Farms Go into Operation

In this era, only the Industrialization large-scale farm model can rapidly advance the development of agricultural production technology.

Farmers may take good care of their land, but due to a lack of funds and technology, they are simply unable to improve agricultural technology.

At the same time, small farmers are also very conservative.

Joseph recalls that 19th-century France farmers still maintained ancient farming practices, preferring to use the simplest and cheapest tools. At the same time, they resolutely resisted planting cash crops, since a full granary was essential for their families' peace of mind.

Large farms backed by capital are not aiming for basic survival; they are pursuing higher profits!

Driven by profit margin pressures, they must continuously upgrade their agricultural machinery, develop more advanced planting techniques, experiment with more expensive but better new fertilizers, and cultivate crops with higher economic value.

This will greatly promote the development of agriculture and industry in France.

Yes, farming is also the foundation for industrial development.

The simplest point is that United Kingdom's Textile has been able to dominate the world by relying on its massive domestic Wool and South Asia Cotton.

If France wants to challenge United Kingdom in the Textile, it first needs sufficient Cotton production. If farmers all grow grain and rely entirely on imported Cotton, it will be extremely difficult to approach United Kingdom's cost level.

In addition, France also needs to cultivate a large number of mulberry trees in its traditional strength in the Textile —silk.

These are the projects most suitable for large-scale Industrialization farms to focus on.

Mirabeau and his group had an exceptionally keen sense for making money. With just a little guidance from the Crown Prince, they immediately recognized the vast financial potential of the new Manor.

Coupled with the favorable land purchase system, they immediately decided to invest a large sum of money to enter the Industrialization Manor market and compete.

Of course, Joseph's reason for vigorously developing Agricultural Service Consulting Company was to use a unified management model to bring together scattered small farmers and give them a certain degree of competitiveness as large farms.

While Viscount Diko was still excitedly talking about the bright future of the new Manor, Mirabeau simply smiled and responded politely.

At this moment, he was pondering the words that His Crown Prince had said to him a few days ago.

His Highness mentioned that after large-scale Industrialization farms are put into operation, land that originally required three or four hundred people to cultivate may only require less than one hundred workers to manage effectively, thanks to the extensive use of livestock, machinery, and new agricultural tools, as well as the implementation of strict standardized management.

He quickly realized, where would the remaining two or three hundred people go?

There is only one answer: they have no choice but to go to big cities to make a living. In addition, with the help of Agricultural Service Consulting Company, ordinary farming families no longer need all family members to participate in farming to ensure land output. In cases where it is difficult to purchase more than 30 acres of land per person, the idle family members will also go to the city to earn money.

The influx of these people into the cities will create an abundance of manpower in the factories, thus eliminating one of the biggest factors restricting factory expansion.

These people living in cities need to purchase all their daily necessities, which means they will create a huge consumer market.

Having foreseen these developments, Mirabeau repeatedly calculated and discovered that investing in large farms at this time would be less profitable than investing in industries requiring large workforces, such as Textile and steel.

So he only bought some land suitable for investment, intending to sell it as soon as its value increased. He invested most of his funds in an Automatic Loom factory in Lyon, and a small portion in Coal Mine in the Southern Netherlands.

Well, the latter actually invested based on His Crown Prince's advice. Although the area is currently embroiled in war, he has more faith in the prince's judgment.

Actually, Mirabeau overlooked one thing.

Joseph had anticipated land speculation six months earlier—he had experienced the Real Estate boom of the early 21st century and was well aware of the tricks used by major corporations to speculate on land—so he planted a seed of trouble in the Grain Yield Act early on.

Once land is designated as Farmland by the government, the buyer is immediately obligated to meet a certain yield per acre after acquiring ownership. Even if the land is sold, if the minimum yield is not met during the harvest season, all landowners will be jointly liable for the remaining yield during that planting season.

Of course, this does not include situations involving disasters.

Therefore, Mr. Mirabeau will find that he must plant immediately after purchasing the land, or he will face fines and even have the land forcibly auctioned off by the High Court!

While the Capitalist Aristocrat was preoccupied with figuring out how to maximize their profits through investment, nearly half of the Nobility in the petitioning crowd in front of the Petit Trianon remained tense, with some even crumpling up their "King's Fund Application Form" and throwing them on the ground.

They were the "spendthrifts" among the Nobility, perhaps because they had little land and received limited Annual Tribute, or perhaps because their lives were too extravagant, leading to a deficit. In any case, they had no spare money. Many even relied on loans to survive—maintaining formal attire for various occasions, paying for the upbringing of Illegitimate Son, and participating in routine salons, hunting, or gambling all required large sums of Silver Coin. For the Nobility of the Versailles Palace, these were the basic Elements of life.

They have no money to invest in the King's Fund, meaning they will starve to death after eight years due to the loss of their income.

Soon, a tall Nobility with unkempt curly hair stepped forward against the crowd subscribing to the fund and loudly addressed the Crown Prince on the steps:

"Your Highness, land rent is a traditional right of the Nobility, an honor bestowed upon our ancestors by the old King. You cannot abolish it so easily!"

Immediately, voices of agreement rang out from the surrounding crowd:

"Yes, we want traditional rights, not funds!"

"Those Annual Tribute were inherited from my father, and they deserve respect!"

Joseph simply looked at these people calmly. He had anticipated this situation and had already made contingency plans.

The Nobility who did not subscribe to the King's Fund were the poorest group, and therefore had the weakest influence. However, we must also consider the potential damage they might cause to the country when they were destitute.

It was under these circumstances that the post station official surnamed Li in the the East directly overthrew an empire.

Joseph coughed lightly, his sharp gaze fixed on the tall Nobility who had jumped out first, and said coldly:

"Perhaps you remember how your ancestors received their Fief?"

The latter was taken aback by the sudden question, "Yes, yes..."

Joseph pointed at him imposingly:

"It was they who followed the King's army, and with their extraordinary bravery and Dreadnought on the battlefield, won their own glory!"