Marvel: I traveled through time a little early

Chapter 2 Farm Status
George picked up the black tea on the table and took a sip, and then said slowly: "Uncle Ryan, how is the situation of the farm and ranch now?"

Ryan also put down the tea cup in his hand and replied: "Well, George, you are an adult now. You need to know more about your farm. You will be responsible for managing it in the future. Then I will introduce it to you. The farm and pasture now total about 4500 acres. The main crops on the farm are soybeans, wheat, corn and buckwheat. There are a total of 185 bulls and 8 cows, all of which are beef cattle. The wheat is growing well and should be growing next year. There will be a good harvest. The pasture is also prepared, so there is no need to worry about feed for the sheep this winter. The machinery has also been maintained by me personally, and they are all good guys."

There is no doubt that the United States started the process of agricultural mechanization after World War I.The development of the industrial revolution also greatly promoted the development of agriculture.

In terms of mechanization.From 1916 to 1919, the number of trucks in use increased by an average of 25% per year.Gas-fired tractors are growing even faster. From 1910 to 1914, only 5 fuel tractors were produced in total. After 1917, sales exceeded this number every year, and even reached more than 1920 units in 16.

Spurred by World War I, American agriculture experienced an unprecedented boom from 1914 to 1920.At the same time, due to the excessive expansion of agricultural production capacity during the war, especially the production capacity of food crops and cash crops, serious overproduction occurred after the war and directly caused agriculture to fall into a long-term depression starting in the summer of 1920.

Hearing Ryan's words, George knew that he must have misunderstood something, and said: "Uncle Ryan, I think you have misunderstood. You have been taking care of the farm for a long time. We are a family. Leave it to you and me." There’s nothing to worry about.”

George knew that as Uncle Ryan, who regarded him as a family member, he would be a big help in his future plans. He could not do everything by himself and would definitely need help.So before that, we must dispel Ryan's misunderstanding and gain his trust and support.

So some things must be made clear.However, it was impossible for George to directly tell Lane that there would be an economic depression in the summer of 1920.After all, it was only December 1919. If George said it directly, he would definitely think it was stupid.

George thought for a while and continued: "Uncle Ryan, you have seen the world. What do you think is the reason for the rapid development of agriculture and the rise in agricultural product prices in recent years?"

Ryan thought for a moment and said slowly: "It's war."

George nodded and said, "Yes, Uncle Ryan. It's the war. When the war gradually spreads, European agricultural production was greatly damaged, and the huge military supplies made countries stretched, it is conceivable that they relied on overseas agricultural products. "

"The war ended last year. After a year of recovery, various European countries have resumed agricultural production. So, Uncle Ryan, can you guess what will happen next?"

Lane responded: "You're worried about crop prices going down."

"Yes, Uncle Ryan. Compared with the war, crop exports have dropped significantly, and the introduction of domestic mechanization and the increase in agricultural production capacity will inevitably lead to a large backlog of crops. The decline in crop prices is inevitable. . I am even worried that even if the price drops, many agricultural and sideline products will not be sold. After all, the domestic population is so large and the digestion capacity is limited."

Ryan looked at George in front of him. Since he recovered from his illness a month ago, the changes had been so great that he felt strange.However, I have to admit that George's analysis makes sense.

"So, what are you going to do?"

When Ryan said these words, George knew that the first step of the plan was successful.He took a sip of black tea and said slowly: "Uncle Ryan, I'm worried that this crisis will not end in a year or two. You know, if it develops as we speculated, then our farm will continue to If you continue to operate, you will bear a huge burden. After all, the annual investment cost is a huge expense."

"Yes, George, if your guess comes true, then something very terrible will happen. Do you have any specific ideas?"

Seeing Ryan's frown, George felt it was time to reveal his purpose. "Uncle Ryan, I think now is a good time to sell the farm."

Ryan looked at the boy in front of him with complicated eyes and said, "Have you made up your mind? You know this is not a trivial matter."

George said: "Today I just communicated my thoughts with Uncle Ryan. We are a family. You are my elder, and I still need to listen to your opinion. Moreover, I remember Uncle Ryan, you and my father have another family." A comrade who is a quartermaster. I think you can ask him about this situation."

Ryan said: "Well, okay, I will ask as soon as possible. Today is Christmas, let's go, kid, pick a Christmas tree and bring it back. You can't expect a disabled person to prepare things."

"Yes, sir!" George agreed with a smile.

In the morning, George accompanied Ryan to choose a tree as tall as one person in the pine forest on his farm and brought it back. At noon, he ate some steak and salad without rest. George alone, with the cooperation of Ryan, took the tree. The two-story building where they live is decorated with various colorful ribbons inside and outside.

At night, it was just the two of them. Aili had her own family. After cooking dinner, she went back early to accompany her family.

After George and Ryan had a sumptuous dinner and gave each other small gifts, they said good night to each other and went back to their rooms to rest early.

Back in the room, George washed up and went to sleep directly. Bijin was cutting trees in the woods again today and decorating the house in the afternoon, so he was still a little active.The next day, after George got up early and had breakfast, he picked up a book and read it by the fireplace.When you're tired, go for a walk outside. There really aren't many entertainment options in this day and age.

George is preparing to graduate from high school next year and take the SAT exam.

In fact, there is no college entrance examination for students in the United States, but if they want to enter American universities, American high school students need to provide test scores of SAT or ACT. The final scores of SAT and ACT are important references for students to apply for study and scholarships in prestigious American schools. If students are not satisfied with their SAT or ACT scores, they can take the test again until they get the scores they are most satisfied with.

SAT, the full name is Scholastic Assessment Test, and its Chinese name is Academic Ability Assessment Test, sponsored by the College Board.It mainly tests the reading and writing skills necessary for students at the college level; unlike the SAT, the ACT test is more like a subject test, which emphasizes the candidate's mastery of course knowledge and also takes into account the candidate's independent thinking and judgment ability. test. The SAT is more widely accepted on the coasts, while the ACT test is more accepted in the Midwest and South.

In addition to preparing for the exam, George also needs to prepare three letters of recommendation. The higher the social status, the better.This only troubles Ryan.

In addition to teaching people knowledge, American universities are actually more of a social place.This is why George wants to go to college.

Although George has a general understanding of the historical trends of later generations, as a flower grower in his previous life, his understanding of American history was only superficial things he learned from the Internet or film and television works.Only those who study more can understand the mystery more deeply.

George is still very confident about taking the exam, after all, he specialized in tutoring in his last life.There is no problem in passing the exam. Reading more books will only make you do better on the exam, and some knowledge will be more relevant.The time gap between the two lives is nearly a hundred years, so some knowledge must have changed.

Three more days passed like this. This afternoon, Ryan walked quickly to George and handed him a piece of paper.

He said to George with a serious face: "George, you really got it right. Now, Europe has reduced its import of agricultural and sideline products from the United States. My comrade Kirk said that they only escorted one person this month. On a merchant ship, the products are mainly luxury goods, here is his telegram."

George put down the book in his hand and took the telegram. He was not too surprised when he looked at the contents.These are things that he has known for a long time, and the purpose of asking for information is to dispel Ryan's doubts and gain Ryan's trust and support.

Ryan, seeing George reading the telegram, said again: "George, what are your plans next?"

"Uncle Ryan, don't be anxious, sit down and speak slowly."

Seeing Ryan sit down, George continued: "Uncle Ryan, you can go to the surrounding bars for a drink in the next few days. By the way, I want to go to college elsewhere. I have no intention of continuing to operate a farm and ranch. I will naturally do it when the time comes." Someone came to us about an acquisition."

Ryan, without asking any more questions, agreed directly and said, "Okay, no problem. Going to college is indeed a good choice."

"Uncle Ryan, there is one more thing I need to trouble you with." George said

"Haha, brat, if you have anything to say, just tell me."

George looked at Ryan who was laughing and said, "Uncle Ryan, I have to trouble you to find a way to get a recommendation letter from the university."

Ryan laughed again and said: "Okay, but if I want to get a better recommendation letter, I need to think carefully about who is more suitable. How about, are you confident in the exam?"

George also laughed and said, "Of course there is no problem, I will take care of everything else."

In fact, in the United States, test scores only account for a part of the admission process. College admissions must examine a student's comprehensive conditions during high school.

The pressure on high school students in the United States is no less than that in China. Some children who participate in campus sports teams have to exercise on the school team for nearly two hours every afternoon after school. It is definitely a very harsh training!I have to sweat profusely every time I practice!So the children have to do their homework between classes and playing games.This is the rhythm of American high school students!

American high school teachers do not teach grammar in detail like Chinese English teachers, so when preparing for standardized tests (ACT, SAT), students have to make up for their grammar.There is no unified syllabus in the United States. Even several teachers in the same school and in the same subject may teach differently.They will not teach the subjects of the national standardized test SAT1 and SAT2. Therefore, when preparing for the subject of SAT2 mathematics, students will find that some knowledge points are not taught at all by the teacher.Smart people will buy an official exam book and study on their own, while those who can't keep up can only sign up for cram schools or hire one-on-one tutors. This is similar to the situation in China.In addition to academic studies, you must have social activities, join various interest clubs, do volunteer work, participate in sports activities, etc. (The United States does not like nerds, and the most famous people on campus are the school team captains and cheerleaders.) Because when recruiting undergraduates in the United States, each university has its own Admission threshold (GPA, standardized test scores).If a child's grades exceed this threshold, admission depends on the child's social activities, contribution to society, leadership, spiritual quality and other soft skills.Therefore, it is possible that children with low scores may be admitted and those with high scores may be rejected. This is normal.American universities attach great importance to the diversity of students, so children must have their own various sports or literary talents to be admitted to good universities.

Because of George's own health, he has never participated in any high school social activities. Fortunately, the requirements in this era are not so strict, and there is still time to make up for it.As for the rest, George is prepared to use his ability to clear the way.In this country where money is paramount, the question is how much money you have. As long as you have enough money, the president is yours.

(End of this chapter)