What does the rural saying "It doesn't rain in the long summer, and the plows hang high" mean?

Long summer is a very important solar term for agricultural production. For example, there is a proverb in central China: "Long summer harvests wheat, and summer crops are yellow"; There are proverbs in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui: "Wear cotton, plant cotton before long summer" and so on, which shows the importance of "long summer" this season.

Judging from the overall situation in China, the long summer season is an important season for planting autumn crops. This season, winter wheat is about to mature or has matured, and farmers need to prepare to sow all kinds of autumn grain crops, which is the time when rain is needed to moisten the earth.

If it doesn't rain at this time, there will be no moisture in the land. If there is no water, there is no way to sow. If there is no way to sow, why plant land? It is better to hang the plow and rake high and let the pear rake continue to "rest"!

Of course, this proverb does not mean that it must rain in the long summer, but that it must rain in the long summer. If it rains after this season, autumn sowing crops will be delayed, and delaying sowing will affect the yield and even harvest of autumn sowing crops. Therefore, in the long summer, rain is very important.

Speaking of which, some people will say that I can water the land if it doesn't rain! After watering the land, there will be moisture. With water, autumn crops can be sown. Why do you hang a plow rake?

The friend who said this actually didn't understand the agricultural production mode in the past. In the past, agricultural production had no water conservancy conditions and basically depended on the weather for food. Even today, some arid areas and some mountainous areas depend on the weather to get food.

Just like the village where khufu lives! It's basically a thin mountain. The soil layer is only about a foot. The soil layer is full of stones, so it can't be irrigated. Even if there is enough rain, it can't produce much food. Not to mention that it doesn't rain in the long summer season, and it's strange not to hang the plow and rake high!

In a word, this proverb vividly expounds the importance of rain in the long summer. Only when it rains at this time can autumn crops be sown on time, otherwise it will delay the farming season, affect the harvest of autumn crops and even cause no harvest. It is better to "hang up the plow" and let the plow continue to "rest".