Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

Chapter 118 018 Belarusian "Golden Kela", rich in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium

Solovyov knew that Russia was large and rich in resources, so he also paid attention to minerals that were very important for agriculture, namely soluble potash ore, which could be used to make potash fertilizer.

The reserves of this stuff are mostly concentrated between 40° and 60° north latitude worldwide, with Canada and Russia producing the most, so the two countries can be said to be evenly matched. However, Russia's production needs to include Belarus's production, otherwise it will still be far behind Canada.

But in this era before the Industrial Revolution, Canada's development was still very incomplete. No matter how much Russia was still in the "mud", it was also a developed and civilized country, although it always seemed barbaric to people in Western Europe.

This kind of environment is also full of vitality.
But recently, the leaves of flowers and plants in some places in Peterhof Palace have begun to show signs of yellowing.

In previous years, the gardeners had carefully pruned the flowers and cultivated the precious plants in the palace. Although there were no problems with the tropical plants, the temperate plants that were adapted to this climate did experience this problem.

"It's really weird, it hasn't been like this in years, I swear to God."

If this old gardener were in the Middle East, he would probably swear on his beard.

Such a poor growth condition is indeed worrying.

Regarding this issue, Tsar Paul consulted the botanical experts in the palace. However, their knowledge was not as precise as that of future agronomists, and they did not know the adverse consequences of the lack of trace elements.

The Tsar also liked to appreciate flowers in the garden, especially tulips originating from the Netherlands, which he wanted to display. If the leaves were like this, the flowers would definitely not grow well.

With his temper, it is inevitable that some officials in the palace will suffer misfortune.

Solovyov often served as the duty officer, but he did not often take care of the gardeners' affairs because these people were mainly responsible for flowers rather than fruits and vegetables.

He often wrote letters to Pavlovsk and his own village, and the content of the communication was always about the growth conditions of the plants. They also sent him copies of the strawberry seedlings, which he took home and dissected to see the actual situation.

The growth is still very encouraging, and we should be able to produce high-quality strawberries this year. After using a certain amount of a mixture of bone meal, coal fractions and potash ore, we can at least ensure that the strawberry and tomato seedlings grow very strong, and the period of time for harvesting in the future will be longer than expected.

"Your Majesty, please do not blame the gardeners and the palace eunuchs in charge of gardening for the tulips in the garden. I think it is probably because the soil lacks nutrients."

"Oh? Soloviev, you said you would come and see."

Although Paul was a moody person, he was still able to listen to other people's opinions when he wanted to.

"Your Majesty, you can dig up some of these tulips that haven't bloomed yet, as well as some other flower seedlings, and you'll get a rough idea."

Paul immediately ordered the gardeners to pull out a lot of them, even by the roots.

"That's true."

Paul looked at the tulip seedlings whose soil had been cleaned. The two plants were growing well and had well-developed root systems. After cutting them open, he could see that both the roots and stems were very full inside.

Those with yellow leaves generally have weak roots, and some even show symptoms of root rot, which are generally fungal or bacterial diseases.

"Your Majesty, I can only say that the growth environment of plants is very important. If the nutrition is unbalanced, this problem will occur."

Paul remembered that when he lived in Pavlovsk in the spring, he saw Maria and Ekaterina, two sisters, dressed like country girls, working barefoot with Soloviev for three days. Every night, the empress would take them to the bathroom to wash them thoroughly before sending them to bed. At that time, the two girls were enjoying it, and even planted a lot of flowers in a separate greenhouse in addition to growing strawberries and tomatoes. Soon, the seedlings sprouted and will soon bloom.

"You can ask the gardener in Pavlovsk what's going on there."

Of course, Paul himself also attached great importance to this matter. After all, for Russia, civilians and serfs needed the food produced from the land to survive, while the nobles used this output to maintain their luxurious lives. The Tsar himself and his ministers had to focus on the stability of the country.

In the UK, it might take a week.
"If an agricultural disaster does occur, the nutrients in the soil will be taken away, which may lead to crop failure."

"Your Majesty, if it is not a drought or flood of extremely destructive power, there are still some ways to remedy it."

"These flowers in the garden are all malnourished. Do you have any solution?"

"As for nutritional supplements, the village that Your Majesty has given me, as well as in Pavlovsk, uses a mixed fertilizer, the main ingredients of which are a kind of mineral from Belarus, animal bones, and 'urea'."

"'Urea', what is that?"

"Your Majesty, it is a crystal extracted from human or animal urine."

Although Paul was not afraid of this, Princess Anna Gagarina, who was listening nearby, had already begun to frown.

"Your Majesty, this is for putting it in the ground, otherwise it would sound very delicious."

"Yes, Anya, but the excrement has to go into the soil anyway, and you don't need to farm."

There is not much to say about this young "spiritual partner" that Paul gave him. In fact, Solovyov did not like this frivolous woman very much. Although she was young, he had no idea what was in her head.

It was perhaps Her Highness Louisa who was more thirsty for knowledge. When he heard the maids gossiping while patrolling in the palace, he knew that Her Highness was going to buy books again, including sheet music for her sister-in-law Maria and picture albums for her daughter Maria.

The girls' school at the Smolny Palace will need a headmistress in the future. If it weren't for the fact that Your Highness's status is so high, she would be fully capable of taking on the job and could even teach at the Tsarskoye Selo School.

Moreover, if they went there and saw such a gentle teacher appearing on the podium, even if her chest was not spectacular enough, it was enough to attract the attention of others. In order to watch the game in a civilized manner, these young men would have to listen to the lectures carefully.

That princess, however, would not dislike this, and would even always take care of the child herself, which was different from the princess' wife who had no experience as a mother.

Children of this age begin to grow teeth, which is the first dangerous stage in their lives. Even very healthy children may die prematurely due to "infections" and other diseases during this stage.

The Tsar himself was now concerned with saving the flowers in Peterhof.

"Soloviev, I'll do it the same way you grow strawberries. The recipe may be a little different, but I believe you can do it well." Even if there was no reward, Solovyov was willing to do it. This kind of high-profile work was actually a preparation for agricultural work.

He mixed these things together, especially since many of the raw materials came from Belarus and the potassium content was there.

It is so rich in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium that it can be said to be the "Golden Kela" of Russia. At that time, Santiago was still a Spanish colony.

The story that emerged in his mind was probably the memory of the time before he was hit by the brick.

And let all the flowers in the palace bloom. This environment is good for everyone and it is best to make the body and mind happy.

After applying the fertilizer, Solovyov originally expected that it would take about half a month to see the effects, but the symptoms of potassium deficiency in the leaves were soon alleviated.

However, it would not work if it did not bloom, so he got some borax and calcined shells, ground them into powder, and then all that was left was to prepare some zinc salt and add them in.

This rough method is correct in terms of the elements, and no matter how toxic borax is, flowers are for viewing, not for eating, so it won't be a big problem.

Solovyov also paid close attention to the tulips. In addition to tulips, there were also roses and various flowers. The young ladies all loved flowers, especially the two who were about to give birth. One liked poetry and the other liked painting. Sometimes they needed the maids to support them as they walked around the garden.

Alexandra and Elena, although one year apart in age, have been inseparable since childhood. They have always appeared in the same area in family paintings, including the family portrait that the Tsar had always planned. They both appeared on the right side of the picture, wearing loose long skirts.

Solovyov was taking care of the flowers in the flower garden, including his favorite Madeira white jasmine. The Tsar had promised him that he could add some new flowers to the greenhouse and flower garden, so he got this one.

"Misha, what are you doing here?"

Elena had always corresponded with him as a "good sister", and there was nothing dangerous in the letters. Frederick Ludwig knew that his little wife had such a "know-it-all" friend.

"Your Highness, I am taking care of the tulips in the flowerbed, and of course the Madeira jasmine."

"No wonder it smells so good here, it's a precious ornamental flower."

"Yes, that is, this is the greenhouse. The flowers were transplanted last year. I have an order from Count Storoganov to help manage these flowers at the palace."

"Aren't you an officer? Why do you like flowers so much?"

"Because it smells good. The fragrance of flowers is always so tempting. Otherwise, Your Majesty would not always allow the two princes to walk together all the time."

"Yeah, it's good for your health here."

"However, I have always been curious about one thing, Your Highness."

Elena nodded, motioning for him to continue.

"Your Highnesses, you are obviously one year apart in age, but you two look like twins. After I joined the Grenadiers, I often saw you two. You were often together and rarely separated."

They are even holding hands now, but their hands are fatter than usual, but there is no sign of swelling on their feet.

To distinguish the two of them, we may still have to look at Alexandra's great heart.

However, at this moment, Alexandra, who was always more reserved, took Elena's hand and said, "The time of our two pregnancies is close, and I'm afraid we will have babies on the same day."

She said this, and Elena and her "heart connected", but it was nothing, but Solovyov, embarrassed boots hit the floor.

However, their movements were highly coordinated, so it's possible. Didn't you see that Julie and this French girl gave birth these days?

You girls, your menstrual cycles are very close, and you get married on the same day. Many things are not strange, and people have even become accustomed to them.

"We are in Petersburg during this period. Once we each return home with our husbands, it will be difficult for us to see each other again."

"My Lady Alexandra, I don't think so. Life is always wonderful. We may meet again someday. Your Highnesses are so close on weekdays. If you can't see each other, you should write to each other. If you miss each other, you can find a place in Germany to meet."

This is a solution. After all, the Mecklenburg families are relatives of Prussia. In the past, many princes of Württemberg went to Berlin to work. It is not impossible to meet, and this distance is much closer than returning to Petersburg.

But what will happen to the world?
Württemberg is still under French control, and William and Alexandra cannot return to Stuttgart for the time being. The date on which the couple returns home depends on the outcome of the negotiations between France and Russia.

At the same time, Baden was actually controlled by the French, and this would also be put on the agenda.

"I think that's fine too. When the French people return to their own country, we can meet up often."

This pair of sisters have a really good relationship. They hold hands and touch each other's bellies. Nothing they do would be surprising.

As for the original theme of enjoying the flowers, they almost ignored it, with happy smiles on their faces.

St. Petersburg was so warm at this time, and the First Consul, who had crossed the Alps on a mule some time ago and was seeking a decisive battle with the Austrian army, had just been blown by the cold wind at the mountain pass.

Solovyov knew the approximate outcome. He couldn't lose Desai's life in Marengo and then suffer a defeat, right?

In that case, Russians will no longer have to go out and can live peacefully at home.

But some people, as if they were destined to do so, held out in Marengo until the main force arrived and finally won. The Austrian veteran Melas could really write a book called "Lost Victory", after all, he was an old comrade who almost defeated Napoleon.

Being able to save all the dying flowers and plants felt like a battle. Tsar Paul was very happy because Solovyov cured a large number of flower and plant root rot diseases. However, according to the agreement, he did not give any special rewards. He only allowed Solovyov to introduce some flowers and plant them in the greenhouse according to his ideas.

(End of this chapter)