ps: After coding a chapter yesterday, my phone suddenly restarted and all the coded words were lost. I will re-write a chapter today.
Rubber is one of the most important industrial raw materials in the second industrial revolution and a unique economic plant in South America.
Therefore, in order to ensure that Rio Grande do Sul can catch up with the development opportunities of the second industrial revolution, Li Mingyuan made important plans and arrangements for the development of the rubber industry.
First, expand the planting area of rubber plantations to ensure adequate supply of rubber raw materials.
Since wild rubber was discovered in the territory at the end of 1868, after more than nine months of searching and transplanting, as of September 1869, the number of rubber plantations in Rio Grande do Sul reached more than 60, and the number of wild rubber reached 20
Thousands of plants.
Among the more than 200,000 rubber trees, there are about 70,000 adult rubber trees that can obtain rubber raw materials, accounting for one-third of the total number of rubber trees.
Wild rubber trees can generally secrete rubber liquid in four to five years, and can collect rubber liquid in eight to ten years. The economic life span is between 25 and 30 years, and the growth life is about 6o years.
The economic life of a bud-grafted tree is much shorter than that of a wild rubber tree, about twenty years. However, although the economic life of a bud-grafted tree is greatly shortened, because bud grafting technology is used to cultivate seedlings, the growth and maturity period of the bud-grafted tree and the difficulty of cultivation are greatly reduced.
Conducive to large-scale planting.
Most of the rubber trees suitable for transplanting and management in Rio Grande do Sul have been discovered. A small number of rubber trees have not been discovered because they are deep in the jungle and mountains. However, because of the inconvenient transportation in the jungle and mountains, those rubber trees do not have the economic value of transplanting.
.
The number of wild rubber trees will not increase significantly in a short period of time. If you want to increase the total number of rubber trees, cultivating new saplings through budding is a more effective method.
There are 13 wild rubber tree plantations in Hexi County in the central part of Rio Grande do Sul. There are 50,000 saplings cultivated through budding technology and planted in specially opened plantations. According to more than half a year of experiments and statistics, 50,000 saplings have been budded.
Thirty thousand seedlings have survived, with a survival rate of about 60%.
Bud-grafted seedlings generally grow in the culture area for two years before they can be transplanted to plantations for growth. During the process of transplanting to plantations, some seedlings will die due to factors such as soil discomfort, so the overall survival rate of bud-grafted seedlings
Probably around 40 percent.
Bud grafting technology is easy to obtain materials and has low cultivation costs. The survival rate of 40% is enough to keep the bud grafted seedlings ready for industrial planting. Therefore, after the report on the growth of bud grafted rubber saplings came out, Li Mingyuan made a decision for the officials responsible for managing rubber planting.
The next goal is to increase the total number of rubber plantations to 300 within three years, and the total number of rubber trees to reach more than one million.
The number of artificially cultivated rubber trees in Brazil is about two to three million. With the scale and size of Rio Grande do Sul, one million rubber trees are enough to supply the raw materials needed for the rubber industry exhibition.
The total number of rubber trees is the first issue that limits the development of the rubber industry, while the development and improvement of the rubber industry system is the second issue.
In the 1870s, the second industrial revolution had just begun. The automobile industry and the internal combustion engine that would later promote the development of the rubber industry had not yet been discovered. Naturally, the demand for rubber as a component of automobile tires and internal combustion engine machinery did not expand.
External motivation. According to the original trajectory of history, it will be more than ten or twenty years before the rubber industry takes off. However, with more than a hundred years of experience from later generations, Li Mingyuan can build on existing technology.
, find new development directions for the rubber industry in advance.
Rubber-soled cloth shoes were the first practical successful product in the rubber industry. More than half a year ago, when Li Mingyuan inspected the work of Chinese workers, he came up with the idea of gelatin-soled cloth shoes. After discussion and negotiation between skilled workers from both the garment factory and the rubber factory, the idea was verified.
The feasibility of manufacturing rubber-soled cloth shoes. Four months ago, the National Defense Forces Military Garment Factory produced the first batch of military rubber-soled cloth shoes. After another month of trial fitting and improvement, the first model of rubber-soled cloth shoes was officially produced.
Started to be used as the new standard equipment of the army.
Since this was the first time to produce rubber-soled cloth shoes, the production capacity of the military garment factory was initially limited to 300 pairs of rubber-soled cloth shoes per day. Then, through three months of practical production, they explored and summed up experience, and became relatively familiar with the production and operation technology of rubber-soled cloth shoes.
After that, the production capacity of the garment factory gradually increased, and finally stabilized at a daily output of 500 pairs of rubber-soled cloth shoes, with a monthly output of 15,000 pairs, and a total of 39,000 pairs of rubber-soled cloth shoes were produced in more than three months. It caught up with the production capacity of 500 pairs of rubber-soled cloth shoes before early September.
The production purpose of the refitting of the Wehrmacht field troops.
After completing the task of developing and producing rubber-soled cloth shoes, the Prussian and Chinese employees in the rubber factory immediately devoted themselves to the tasks of developing pneumatic rubber tires and producing hard rubber water pipes.
Hard rubber water pipes have been invented in Europe. Since the rubber production-related technologies were directly imported from Prussia when purchasing machinery and equipment, all the employees in the rubber factory have to do is to produce suitable products according to the standards provided by Li Mingyuan.
, the difficulty is not too great.
Although pneumatic rubber tires are a new thing, according to the production ideas provided by Li Mingyuan, it is not difficult to develop pneumatic tires.
Under Li Mingyuan's focused attention, hard rubber water pipes and pneumatic rubber tires were produced two days after the rubber-soled cloth shoes were installed in the troops.
After inspecting the performance of the new product in the company of several Prussian technicians at the rubber factory, Li Mingyuan praised the employees involved in the production, then gave them part of the rewards in the name of the government, and finally ordered his entourage to take the produced pneumatic tire samples and hard
He took the high-quality rubber pipe away and came to a newly established machinery manufacturing factory.
The Xinjing Machinery Manufacturing Factory, named after the place Xinjing, is a new factory established less than two months ago. All the technicians in the factory are Chinese workers drawn from various machinery factories, and there is not a single Prussian.
Walking into the heavily guarded machinery manufacturing factory, a dozen Chinese technicians stood neatly in a row in the main workshop of the factory to greet Li Mingyuan and his party.
"Old Wangtou, have you finished the products I ordered you to produce?"
Li Mingyuan strode into the workshop door and asked directly.
"Yangjing and Yangche have each produced forty samples. They only need the rubber product parts brought by His Highness to assemble them."
A short Chinese man in his forties said with a smile.
"I've brought everything here. According to the structural diagram I handed over, let's assemble two complete samples first."
Li Mingyuan glanced at the two rows of mechanical products in the workshop and waved his hands.
"Your Highness," the old factory manager saluted Li Mingyuan.
He called on five or six Chinese technicians to take over the rubber production parts brought by his entourage, and then began tinkering with two mechanical products.
After about twenty minutes of touching, the old factory manager, whose hands were covered in black, completed the assembly, and two products that would be very common in later generations appeared in front of everyone in the workshop.
The technical content of the two products produced in the workshop is not too high, but their inventions or improvements have greatly promoted the lives of ordinary people.
The first of the two products has been known in European society for more than half a century. Chinese workers who have seen its style in the workshop habitually call it a foreign car, while Li Mingyuan prefers to call it a bicycle.
For products produced by Westerners, Chinese workers are accustomed to adding a foreign word in front of the name. For example, the matches that have been produced by the factory in Rio Grande do Sul are called matches by the Chinese, cement is called foreign mud, and the Chinese made in 1853
The kerosene lamps invented by the Dutch are called foreign lanterns. Foreign lanterns need to be fueled by petroleum. Due to the lack of oil resources in Rio Grande do Sul, kerosene lamps are relatively expensive. Ordinary Chinese rarely have access to kerosene lamps. They are only available in iron ore mines.
Kerosene lamps are only equipped in mining areas such as coal mines and coal mining sites.
The names starting with foreign characters produced by Westerners mainly originated from ordinary people's curiosity about new things. Li Mingyuan did not forcefully change the people's names in this matter, but for the new bicycles that have been reasonably improved in the workshop
, Li Mingyuan plans to give it a name in future generations.
"Bicycle" Looking at the new products that roughly conform to the style of later generations, Li Mingyuan blurted out a new term.
"Old Wangtou, since this product is the first one we have improved and produced, we should not use the name given by foreigners. I think it is better to call it a bicycle? Do you think it is suitable?"
"The product structure drawings were drawn by His Highness himself, so naturally the orders should come from His Highness."
The old factory director said respectfully.
"Bicycle? Can this guy move by himself?" A young Chinese soldier asked in surprise when he saw the strange-looking thing in front of him.
"Haha, little brother, I have never seen a foreigner riding a foreign car. This thing can't move on its own. It needs someone to ride on it. Look, it's like riding a horse."
A cavalry officer, who had seen bicycles of this era before, gestured.
"Haha, this brother is right. A person needs to sit on a bicycle to move it, but compared with riding a horse, riding a bicycle is much easier."
Li Mingyuan was in a good mood and introduced some knowledge about bicycles to the Chinese people around him. Then, taking advantage of his interest, he directly rode the newly assembled bicycle to demonstrate it to the people in the factory.
The bicycle is easy to use, but it is a bit difficult for people who have never touched a bicycle. Seeing Li Mingyuan riding a bicycle steadily in the factory yard, a few curious Chinese officers also tried it once, but naturally they fell down.
On the ground.
After everyone in the factory was faced with the new excitement of bicycles, Li Mingyuan once again told the old factory director: "Bicycle production must be strictly confidential. Except for the technical workers of the manufacturing plant and people I allow to have access to bicycles, it is strictly forbidden to leak information related to bicycles."
Disposed of according to military law."
"Don't worry, Your Highness, I guarantee that the employees of Xinjing Machinery Manufacturing Factory will never reveal any information about bicycles to the outside world."
The old factory director immediately expressed his position.
"I will send additional troops to guard outside the factory. The task inside your factory is to produce bicycles with all your strength. By July next year, all the bicycles produced in the factory will be equipped for the troops. Your production tasks are very heavy. If you have any questions, you can
Tell it in advance."
"Production will begin this month. With the existing manpower in the factory, from the production of bicycle parts to the completion of assembly, we can produce about 400 products a month. By July next year, the total bicycle output can reach a maximum of 6,000. No.
Do you know whether His Highness is satisfied with this production speed?"
"The bicycles will be put to great use in July next year. The quantity of 6,000 units is too small. It must be at least 10,000 units. I will try my best to make up for the shortage of manpower in the factory. Can I complete the production target of 10,000 units in July next year?
?”
"The smelting and forging of bicycle parts is the responsibility of the steel processing factory. As long as the factory there can supply enough parts, and two hundred skilled Chinese workers will be deployed, the subordinates and the employees of the manufacturing factory will seize the time to produce, and it will be completed by July next year.
Production targets issued by His Highness."
The old factory director gritted his teeth and expressed his stance.
"Okay, if you are lacking anything in the production of bicycles, just come to me. When I am not in Rio Grande do Sul, if you have any questions, you can go to Minister Liu and they will still meet your needs."
"Thank you, Your Highness!"
The old factory director bowed, raised his head and continued, "Your Highness, do you want to take a look at another product?"
"Well, you two go in and move the big guy on the right outside." Li Mingyuan nodded slightly, and then ordered the two accompanying soldiers to do their work.
The two soldiers obeyed the order and acted. After a few minutes, a dark iron thing made of smelted and welded steel was carried to the yard outside the workshop.
"Your Highness, what is this thing used for?"
"Haha, you will know later."
Li Mingyuan smiled and said, "Old Wangtou, are the drilling crews ready?"
"Everything is ready. We're just waiting for His Majesty's order to begin."
"Well, let's get started."
Li Mingyuan agreed, and the old factory director said hello. Three Chinese workers took out five or six two-meter-long iron pipes from the workshop, and then carved out a space of about one square meter in the open space in the yard.
Together, they excavated the earth within the designated land area. It took about ten minutes to dig a small pit about one square meter and 40 centimeters in size. The three of them took turns operating auxiliary equipment to drive the iron pipe into the ground.
Seeing the operations of the three people, many Chinese present felt familiar. Although the operation methods were different, wasn't drilling underground just to obtain water?
In the mainland, the main way to obtain water is to dig wells, and the three people in the yard just inserted a few thin iron pipes into the ground. How can such a thin iron pipe fit a bucket, and what if there is no bucket?
Bring water up from the well?
Everyone, who clearly saw the intentions of the three Chinese workers but didn't quite understand them, watched silently at first. Then, not long after, several officers who were close to Li Mingyuan boldly spoke out their doubts.
Facing the people who were half-informed, Li Mingyuan just explained a few words. After the underground iron pipe was installed and the installed iron member was fixed on the iron pipe, Li Mingyuan explained the working principle of the new product to everyone.
Another product produced by the machinery manufacturing factory was the pressurized water well, which was very common in rural areas in later generations. In some places, it was also called a foreign well.
Li Mingyuan didn't know much about the specific invention of pressurized water wells. He only knew that the main principle of pressurized water wells involved the air tightness of air, so he thought of using rubber as raw material to make waterproof and confidential hard rubber water pipes and internal parts of pressurized water wells.
Rubber parts that ensure air tightness gave rise to the idea of manufacturing pressurized water wells.
Compared with traditional water wells, it is more convenient to obtain water where pressurized wells are installed, and it saves the trouble of digging wells. It not only facilitates the domestic water supply of ordinary Chinese, but in terms of agricultural development, the benefits of using pressurized wells are even more obvious.
Rubber-soled cloth shoes, bicycles, and pressure wells. In terms of industry, Rio Grande do Sul has a unique civilization that belongs to the Chinese.
These inventions will not only facilitate the lives of ordinary Chinese, but also bring considerable economic benefits to Rio Grande do Sul.
Looking at the groundwater pumped out from the pressure well, Li Mingyuan's thoughts drifted to a more distant direction in the future.
