The soil wasn't dry to the point of having cracks. It was just because of insufficient watering. Eric asked Samuel, "how do you irrigate the fields."
"Your highness, the king had built the irrigation canals, which we used to water the plants. But it had collapsed after the floods two years ago." Samuel led them to the canals.
This canal was built around fifteen years ago. Its walls weren't built with bricks or stones. Because of floods, the water level rose. The canal couldn't bear the excessive pressure and thus, its left embankment had crumbled.
One more task on the list, Eric shook his head. He thought he would need to just deliver the seeds. But now, more problems started popping one after another. It would consume quite a lot of his time.
The irrigation system needed a complete overhaul. The canal was still working, but its water capacity had reduced to one fourth. So, Eric decided to do it at a later date.
He wanted to make the embankments cemented, for which he didn't have the resources.
Eric turned to Samuel, "You need not worry. I will send some workers to clear the canal." They started towards the houses. On the way, Eric would take a lump of soil from distinct places and would analyze them. All of them were on the dryer side.
Increasing the water retention of the soil was important. And it could be easily achieved by using the organic compost.
…
Eric's group reached the house. When they first arrived, no men were present here, but now about twenty men were waiting for them. They all bowed and greeted the prince of Alvaton.
They had placed two tables with a sitting capacity of ten people. Samuel led Eric to the chair and pulled the chair for him to sit. The politeness of the middle-aged man impressed Eric.
Evans took a chair next to Eric, and the guards sat on the other table. Samuel and other men of villages were standing with a polite smile on their faces.
Eric asked them to sit with him on the same table, but the men refused to sit as an equal with the prince. However, Eric didn't stop insisting, and at last, they sat.
"Samuel if you have any complaints regarding the kingdom, you can share it with me. I would try to solve it." Eric asked the middle-aged man.
"Ah!..." Samuel was looking up and down, with an open mouth, confused whether or not he should say it. Eric patted his back. The middle-aged man opened his mouth, "your highness. Our lands didn't produce enough since the previous two years, and the tax rates remained the same. They came to collect it, we could not pay, they took some of our livestock as the payment. If you could ask them to reassess the production of our lands, it would be a substantial help for us and our families." Samuel further added with a resolute expression, "we always paid taxes on time and would continue to do so in future".
In Alvaton, Revenue officials assessed the farmlands based on how much grain it produces in a year, and tax collectors took one-fourth of it. It was not practical for them to do this exercise each year, so once they fixed it, the tax collector would collect accordingly.
Eric nodded his head, "I have another offer for you, instead of giving taxes to the kingdom, what if we pay you to do farming. I mean we would pay you a fixed salary and you will work on the farm as an employee of the kingdom."
The farmers went in deep thinking; they were checking how it would affect them. Eric further added, "the basic payment would be of one gold per year which you would receive even if the crop fails and if you produce more, we would give you extra money. What do you think?"
The average income of people in Alvaton was 50 silver. They were being given double of that and it was assured even if the crop fails. The farmers were glad and smile returned to their faces. The offer by the prince was successful in tempting them.
What was more to think about it? They all agreed to it. Where would they get such a generous offer again?
Their reactions pleased Eric. "I know a way that could solve the problem of grains." Eric said. It intrigued farmers. They wanted to know what their prince was about to do next.
"Where do you throw the wastes from the farm and home? Take me to see it" they didn't know what their prince wanted in the waste pit, but he had asked so they led him there.
The pit was 10 meters in diameter and an awful smell came from it as they neared it. Eric took the spear from a guard and used it to stir the contents of the pit. The smell intensified and warm air rose from the pit. The upper layer was of freshly thrown wastes, but the inside was dark brown, almost black.
Eric turned to them, "you have to water this pit for thirty days and then spread its content in the fields. For wastes dug a new pit, and when this pit empties, you would do the same to the new pit. Trust me, it will work"
The farmers were not sure if it would help or not, but they wouldn't dare to disobey the prince's command. They all nodded their heads in agreement.
"Oh! I forgot to mention that the kingdom had bought new quality seeds, and we would give you the seeds free of cost." Eric said.