Food supplies for elves

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

As for Elves tilling the earth, maybe Lórien's special situation with Galadriel helped with that.
Her gift to Sam of the "turbo" soil, which caused accelerated growth of plants, might demonstrate the capability of the Galadhrim to have crops that required a very short growth and harvest time. Lórien also seems to have enjoyed temperate weather even in Winter, and that can't have hurt agricultural prospects.

We know that the soil from Galadriel's orchard allows vegetation to grow more quickly, and we also know that Elves do cut down trees, as they have wooden boats, so I think clearings with fast growing crops are very likely.

That's Lorien sorted, but what about the Woodland Realm? Do they exist on wine, given all the barrels, or did they ever import some nibbles to go with all the booze?

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

That's Lorien sorted, but what about the Woodland Realm? Do they exist on wine, given all the barrels, or did they ever import some nibbles to go with all the booze?

Thranduil's people were a lot of carnivorous renegades, who would have shocked their Green-Elf kin in Ossiriand into a frothing rage.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

That's Lorien sorted, but what about the Woodland Realm? Do they exist on wine, given all the barrels, or did they ever import some nibbles to go with all the booze?

Thanks to Mr. Baggins' thorough report of what the various Dwarves complained about, such as barrels smelling of apples, and other hints, such as some barrels being used for butter, we know that there was more than just booze. We also know that the Elven King did very often go out to ride and hunt, at least until spiders made such business too risky. What I am more curious about is what did the Elves send to the Men of Lake-Town in return, aside from burglars and exiles.

Speaking of Woodland Realm, here we have again the curious occurance - and I belive there were some threads in the past about it, but let me just mention it here - of the remark that the Wood-Elves could get wine only by trade, because "no wine grew in these parts", but they had to get it from the Men, or from their kin in the South. For the purpose of this thread: could we argue that it is supposed to mean Lórien, therefore it would imply that at least some of Lórien's soil was used for that? (Of course, the option number 2 is that it refers to some unmarked, unknown Elven enclave; or Edhellond of old, although that would be a bit outdated already by the time of the Hobbit.)

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

Thanks to Mr. Baggins' thorough report of what the various Dwarves complained about, such as barrels smelling of apples, and other hints, such as some barrels being used for butter, we know that there was more than just booze. We also know that the Elven King did very often go out to ride and hunt, at least until spiders made such business too risky. What I am more curious about is what did the Elves send to the Men of Lake-Town in return, aside from burglars and exiles.

Speaking of Woodland Realm, here we have again the curious occurance - and I belive there were some threads in the past about it, but let me just mention it here - of the remark that the Wood-Elves could get wine only by trade, because "no wine grew in these parts", but they had to get it from the Men, or from their kin in the South. For the purpose of this thread: could we argue that it is supposed to mean Lórien, therefore it would imply that at least some of Lórien's soil was used for that? (Of course, the option number 2 is that it refers to some unmarked, unknown Elven enclave; or Edhellond of old, although that would be a bit outdated already by the time of the Hobbit.)

Tolkien was always a bit vague when it came to commerce. I sympathize with him in that he was an English and linguistics professor and most likely avoided economics and assorted mathematical quotients, ratios and percentages like the plague.

Given the Wood Elves fay characteristics in The Hobbit, with all the feasting and disappearing and such, there is very little to support them being a very reliable trade partner; that they sent the barrels back to Laketown empty indicates not much of an established bartering system, at least not by that method.

It was rather like the Shire, with their established postal system, mayors, bounders and shiriffs. Somebody had to pay these folks to beat the bounds and drop off party invitations; therefore, there must have been some sort of institutionalized hearth tax. But there was no mention of the tax collector, Gilden Moneybanks, knocking on the quaint round doors of Hobbit-holes to exact quarterly fees.

[Lalwendë]

It probably was of little interest to Tolkien - we also don't hear much about infrastructure and economic methods in other realms, though they clearly existed beneath the surface of the story we read, or else how could the Rohirrim buy bridles or the residents of Minas Tirith be supplied with wood or coal?

Tolkien, it should be noted, likely wasn't much interested in such things in real life; it's shocking to modern ears, but he had a wife to take care of making sure there was bread in the pantry. It's also worth noting that the cutting off of supplies or destruction of resources doesn't figure highly in the depiction of warfare in LotR. Only Saruman seems to have this in his store of tactics.

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

It probably was of little interest to Tolkien - we also don't hear much about infrastructure and economic methods in other realms, though they clearly existed beneath the surface of the story we read, or else how could the Rohirrim buy bridles or the residents of Minas Tirith be supplied with wood or coal?

Tolkien, it should be noted, likely wasn't much interested in such things in real life; it's shocking to modern ears, but he had a wife to take care of making sure there was bread in the pantry. It's also worth noting that the cutting off of supplies or destruction of resources doesn't figure highly in the depiction of warfare in LotR. Only Saruman seems to have this in his store of tactics.

Seeing as Tolkien's own money problems caused him to sell the film rights to The Hobbit and LotR, I would tend to agree with you, Lal.

In Gondor, I would assume the economy was of a feudal nature, given various princely and lordly titles for various vassalages seemingly enfeoffed, each bringing a separate contingent (of various size and equipage, from the Prince of Dol Amroth's armored knights down to a few grim householders from Lamedon) to battle in Minas Tirith's defense.

[Galin]

Mallorn mast... it's not attested... but it's good.

No leaching required