Page 96 - Mocarelli, Luca, and Aleksander Panjek. Eds. 2020. Maize to the People! Cultivation, Consumption and Trade in the North-Eastern Mediterranean (Sixteenth-Nineteenth Century). Koper: University of Primorska Press
P. 96
maize to the people!
County of Gorizia and north of Istria. Here we may find maize cultivated
in the fields in the first half of the eighteenth century, although in a “still
insignificant” quantity; in fact, it would not expand beyond the climati-
cally more favourable areas throughout the century. Nevertheless, among
all the areas of the Duchy of Carniola it was precisely in the Notranjska
and Dolenjska regions that maize became most present by the mid-eight-
eenth century, based on the Theresian cadastres, “which are the first to pro-
vide maize statistics as somewhat reliable statistical evidence on maize” on
landlords’ and peasants’ land (Britovšek 1964, 206, 210).
It is now time to turn towards Dolenjska, the south of Slovenia, al-
though there too maize crops were still “very small” until the mid-eight-
eenth century. In some circumscribed areas (Mokrice), “maize was cul-
tivated by the vast majority of peasants, but the crops were very small”
(Britovšek 1958/59, 130).
In general, we may say that in the mid-eighteenth century, maize
was already widespread in the Dolenjska region, but it still re-
mained a garden crop and rarely succeeded in being classified as
a field crop. Maize crops were so exiguous that they did not signif-
icantly affect the diet of the peasant population. […] Compared to
other cereals, maize was in the last or penultimate place. In fact,
it was to be found more on landlords’ than on peasants’ land, and
it was used primarily for poultry feeding, while peasants used to
plant it only at the edges of cabbage orchards (Britovšek 1964, 206,
209).
Much more than in the Dolenjska region, maize was most widespread
within southern Carniola (and Slovenia) in the first half of the eight-
eenth century in the nearby Bela Krajina area. On the demesne land of the
Metlika commandery, maize was the third most cultivated crop (with a
yield of 1:40 to 1:50). There, maize was indeed widespread among peasants
as well, both in their fields and on their tables, since it already entered their
everyday menu. Most of all it was present in the Podbrežje manor, where
some peasants were sowing up to 30 litres of maize seeds (Britovšek 1958/59,
130; Britovšek 1964, 207). In the nearby Kočevje area it was much less sown,
and mostly as an orchard crop (Britovšek 1964, 208).
On the other side of the Slovenian lands, in Styria to the northeast,
in the first half of the eighteenth century, evidence is unambiguous. In the
area south of Graz (today’s Westseiermark) already observed above, short-
94
County of Gorizia and north of Istria. Here we may find maize cultivated
in the fields in the first half of the eighteenth century, although in a “still
insignificant” quantity; in fact, it would not expand beyond the climati-
cally more favourable areas throughout the century. Nevertheless, among
all the areas of the Duchy of Carniola it was precisely in the Notranjska
and Dolenjska regions that maize became most present by the mid-eight-
eenth century, based on the Theresian cadastres, “which are the first to pro-
vide maize statistics as somewhat reliable statistical evidence on maize” on
landlords’ and peasants’ land (Britovšek 1964, 206, 210).
It is now time to turn towards Dolenjska, the south of Slovenia, al-
though there too maize crops were still “very small” until the mid-eight-
eenth century. In some circumscribed areas (Mokrice), “maize was cul-
tivated by the vast majority of peasants, but the crops were very small”
(Britovšek 1958/59, 130).
In general, we may say that in the mid-eighteenth century, maize
was already widespread in the Dolenjska region, but it still re-
mained a garden crop and rarely succeeded in being classified as
a field crop. Maize crops were so exiguous that they did not signif-
icantly affect the diet of the peasant population. […] Compared to
other cereals, maize was in the last or penultimate place. In fact,
it was to be found more on landlords’ than on peasants’ land, and
it was used primarily for poultry feeding, while peasants used to
plant it only at the edges of cabbage orchards (Britovšek 1964, 206,
209).
Much more than in the Dolenjska region, maize was most widespread
within southern Carniola (and Slovenia) in the first half of the eight-
eenth century in the nearby Bela Krajina area. On the demesne land of the
Metlika commandery, maize was the third most cultivated crop (with a
yield of 1:40 to 1:50). There, maize was indeed widespread among peasants
as well, both in their fields and on their tables, since it already entered their
everyday menu. Most of all it was present in the Podbrežje manor, where
some peasants were sowing up to 30 litres of maize seeds (Britovšek 1958/59,
130; Britovšek 1964, 207). In the nearby Kočevje area it was much less sown,
and mostly as an orchard crop (Britovšek 1964, 208).
On the other side of the Slovenian lands, in Styria to the northeast,
in the first half of the eighteenth century, evidence is unambiguous. In the
area south of Graz (today’s Westseiermark) already observed above, short-
94
