I better start dripping the pipes before I go to bed

[conuly]

Ugh. I hate this, I hate this, I hate this. If we're going to have cold, I want snow with it!

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Comments

[low_delta]

That's what I always say - if it's going to be cold, there might as well be snow. The cold is so much nicer with snow on the ground.

[dine]

I started mine dripping last night - the noise makes me cranky, but it never got above 19 today, so I guess it's necessary. although, there is some snow on the ground, but that's supposed to be replaced with freezing rain tonight, which will make tomorrow a joy. so glad I don't need to go out!

[movingfinger]

Potatoes also invasion-proof the population, to a certain degree. Grain crops can be burned standing or at any stage in processing. Potatoes sit there in the ground waiting to be dug up and destroying the peasants' potato crop is an unfeasibly labor-intensive undertaking. Friedrich II of Prussia understood this and vigorously encouraged the cultivation of potatoes as part of his state-building.

[conuly]

Indeed. And that, too, has longer implications - if you're less likely to have your crop stolen by bandits or enemy soldiers, there won't be as many of those in the first place, which means you don't need a castle and all the associated infrastructure to provide as much protection.

[robby]

Even in peaceful times, a gardener can leave potatoes in the ground through winter. They won't grow, but will stay fresh. You can go out and dig them as needed. Very convenient. Potatoes also have a significant amount of protein.

[conuly]

Yes, more calories and protein per acre than wheat. You can live for a very long time on just potatoes and dairy. It's a bland diet, but you can manage better than living on just bread and dairy.

[movingfinger]

In Friedrich II's case, he was the aggressor in a series of wars to enlarge Prussia (leading to modern Germany), and he wanted to make it harder to starve him and his people out in revenge attacks...

I believe potatoes had not been widely introduced by the time of the Thirty Years' War in the previous century, and I am sure someone has written reams of speculation on how they might have changed that (if at all).

[sabotabby]

We just got snow. No one thought it would happen!

The potato link is incredible. I'm obsessed with potatoes rn so good timing.

[chez_jae]

We're in the midst of brutal wind chills; we did get snow, but not much. It's blowing all over hell's half acre at the moment, however. Blah.