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NOTES AND QUERIES
out assistance from other sources, assuming land for the necessary vegetable gardens and seed beds also available.
Wong Chuk Yeung
yield in rice 1.5 picul x 2 harvests = 3 piculs
less 2 tau seeds = 2.8 piculs
less 30% (by volume) for hulling etc. = 2.33 picul. (Note: this could represent a willingness to eat very un-white rice in this upland village.) 2.33 piculs less 20% Crown Rent = 1.86 piculs (See Crown Rent section below.)
1.86 piculs less 3% wastage = 1.80 piculs (lower wastage figure as all stored in cocklofts)
1.80 piculs a year = 7.7 taels a day (Assumes 380 day year; fewer festivals in an upland village) = 96% of 1 adult requirement.
Plus sweet potatoes
yield, say 8 piculs in weight (this figure not checked with Tai Foo) less wastage 20% = 6.4 piculs
6.4 piculs = 1 catty 11 taels a day or 42% of 1 adult's requirement.
Thus 1 tau of good average land in Wong Chuk Yeung could feed 1.38 adults without assistance from outside, assuming the necessary vegetable gardens and seedbeds.
Yield for 1 tau best land in Tai Wai
yield in rice 4 piculs x 2 harvests = 8 piculs
less 2 piculs seeds = 7.8 piculs
less 40% (by volume) for hulling = 6.08 piculs
6.08 piculs less 12% Crown Rent = 5.35 piculs
5.35 piculs less 5% wastage = 5.08 piculs
5.08 piculs = 1 catty 4.3 taels a day (400 day year) = 2.53 adults requirement.
Plus sweet potato as above 2 catties a day or 0.5 adults requirement. Thus 1 tau of best Tai Wai land could feed 3.03 adults without outside assistance assuming the necessary vegetable gardens and seedbeds.
Seedbeds
Tai Foo implied 2 shing (1 shing = 1/10 tau) of seedbed per tau of fields.
Vegetable Gardens
No details, but small - 1/2 to 1 1/2 shing (about 380 sq. ft.) seems reasonable for