Historical change initiating agricultural progress
After the death of his father Joseph, Ferdinand of Maltzahn, the lord of Wartenberg and Penzlin (1778 - 1868), known for his thrift,
perseverance and prudence but also for a considerable talent for agriculture, brought about crucial changes and progress in agriculture.
On numerous travels throughout Europe, he came home with diverse suggestions on how to optimise farming and with ways to make it more
profitable. Consequently, he replaced the then prevailing three-field crop rotation by a form that is called the "Holstein method".
The common three-field rotation included a yearly alternation between winter and summer crops as well as one year of fallow ground
for each field. This led to the case that, each year, one third of the estate gained no profit. In contrast, the Holstein method
optimised the agricultural use of the estate by dividing each field into seven different smaller parts which were fenced in. Even
though each of these new areas were notably smaller than a field in the three-field crop rotation method, the new Holstein method
was more profitable and varying. The Holstein method was favoured for a long time, yet it could not prevail in Mecklenburg-Western
Pomerania due to its rather primitive way of farming, making the use of machines and plough impossible.
Penzlin
Penzlin - Home of the Maltzahns The noble house of Maltzahn Historical change initiating agricultural progress The new master of Penzlin
