Historically, the development of the highlands is difficult to relate to the mode of life of the people and their culture of livelihood. Research shows that in the difficult conditions of the highlands in the pre-industrial era, unique local environmental management systems were created that successfully ensured the livelihoods of local communities. The difficult conditions… Continue reading Extreme Agriculture: Folk Skills Among Peoples of the North Caucasus Highland in the 19th Century
Vegetables
Rise and decline of the Mechelen greenhouse, today an honored object of cultural heritage in Flanders
Fig. 1. Oldest conservatory of the Mechelen type in neighbouring Sint-Katelijne-Waver. The emergence of the Mechelen (English: Mechlin, French Malines) greenhouse type coincided with the rise of vegetable cultivation in this area of Flanders in Belgium, developing in the late nineteenth century, so that it became a typical feature of the open-ground horticulture on vegetable… Continue reading Rise and decline of the Mechelen greenhouse, today an honored object of cultural heritage in Flanders
Glass and Hotbeds
The Early Modern period in Europe was itself a “hotbed” of innovation involving glass, often attested in renowned publications such as Diderot’s and D’Alembert’s Encyclopédie, among other remarkable sources. Come and explore hotbeds, bellglasses, “lights”, pane-production techniques and the debate on what might be “natural” … or not.
Which came first, bees or crops? Why does it matter?
Abstracts: Flying insects, particularly bees, transfer pollen to flowers to facilitate plant reproduction. The Western or European honeybee (Apis mellifera) may get the most attention because of the honey they produce, but other bees pollinate vegetables, berries, and other fruits on which we all depend. Adding the natural history of bees to the agricultural history of… Continue reading Which came first, bees or crops? Why does it matter?