Reborn as King of South America

Chapter 202 Rubber Industry and Bicycles
ps: After I finished coding a chapter yesterday, my phone suddenly restarted and all the words I coded were lost. I have to write a new chapter today.

Rubber is one of the most important industrial raw materials in the Second Industrial Revolution and is also an economic plant unique to South America.

Therefore, in order to ensure that Rio Grande do Sul could 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 sufficient supply of rubber raw materials.

Since the discovery of wild rubber in the territory in late 1868, after more than nine months of searching and transplanting, by September 1869, the number of rubber plantations in Rio Grande do Sul had reached more than , and the number of wild rubber plants had reached .

Among the more than 200,000 rubber trees, there are about 70,000 adult rubber trees that can be used to obtain rubber raw materials, accounting for one-third of the total number of rubber trees.

Wild rubber trees generally secrete rubber liquid in four to five years, and the rubber liquid can be collected in eight to ten years. The economic life span is between 25 and 60 years, and the growth life span is about years.

The economic life of grafted trees is much shorter than that of wild rubber trees, at about twenty years. However, although the economic life of grafted trees is greatly shortened, because budding technology is used to cultivate seedlings, the growth and maturity period and cultivation difficulty of grafted trees are greatly reduced, which is 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, due to the inconvenient transportation in the jungle and mountains, those rubber trees do not have economic value for transplanting.

The number of wild rubber trees will not increase significantly in a short period of time. If we want to increase the total amount of rubber trees, the more effective method is to use bud grafting to cultivate new seedlings.

There are thirteen wild rubber tree plantations in Hexi County in central Rio Grande do Sul, where 50,000 seedlings grown through budding technology are planted in specially developed plantations. According to more than half a year of experiments and statistics, 30,000 of the 50,000 budded seedlings survived, with a survival rate of about 60 percent.

Bud grafted seedlings generally grow in the culture area for two years before they can be transplanted to the plantation. During the process of transplanting to the plantation, some seedlings will die due to factors such as soil unsuitability. Therefore, the overall survival rate of bud grafted seedlings is about 40%.

The budding technology is easy to obtain materials and has low cultivation costs. The 40% survival rate is enough to keep the budded seedlings suitable for industrial planting. Therefore, after the growth report on the budded rubber seedlings was received, Li Mingyuan set a goal for the officials in charge of rubber planting: to increase the total number of rubber plantations to 300 within three years, and the total number of rubber trees to more than one million.

There are about two to three million rubber trees cultivated in Brazil. Given the size and volume of Rio Grande do Sul, one million rubber trees are enough to supply the raw materials needed for the development of the rubber industry.

The total amount of rubber trees is the first problem restricting the development of the rubber industry, while the development and improvement of the rubber industry system is the second problem.

In the 1870s, the second industrial revolution had just begun. The automobile industry and internal combustion engines that would later promote the development of the rubber industry had not yet been invented. Rubber, which was used as automobile tires and internal combustion engine parts, naturally had no external motivation to expand demand. According to the original historical trajectory, the rubber industry would not take off until more than ten or twenty years later. However, with more than a hundred years of experience, Li Mingyuan was able to find a new development direction for the rubber industry in advance based on existing technology.

Rubber-soled cloth shoes are the first successful product of the rubber industry to become practical. More than half a year ago, when Li Mingyuan was inspecting the work of Chinese workers, he came up with the idea of ​​inventing rubber-soled cloth shoes. After discussion and consultation by technical workers from both the garment factory and the rubber factory, the feasibility of manufacturing rubber-soled cloth shoes was verified. Four months ago, the National Defense Force Military Garment Factory produced the first batch of military rubber-soled cloth shoes. After another month of trial wearing and improvement, the first type of rubber-soled cloth shoes was officially finalized and produced, and began to be used as the new standard equipment of the troops.

Since it was the first time to produce rubber-soled cloth shoes, the military clothing factory's production capacity was initially 300 pairs per day. After three months of practical production, the factory gradually increased its production capacity after learning and summarizing its experience and becoming relatively familiar with the production and operation technology of rubber-soled cloth shoes. Finally, it stabilized at 500 pairs per day, 15000 pairs per month, and a total of pairs of rubber-soled cloth shoes were produced in more than three months. The production goal of replacing the uniforms for the Wehrmacht field troops was met before early September.

After completing the task of developing and producing rubber-soled cloth shoes, the Prussian and Chinese employees in the rubber factory then started to develop pneumatic rubber tires and produce hard rubber water pipes.

Hard rubber water pipes had already been invented in Europe. Since the relevant rubber production technology was directly introduced from Prussia when purchasing machinery and equipment, all the employees in the rubber factory had to do was to produce suitable products according to the standards provided by Li Mingyuan, which was not difficult.

Although pneumatic rubber tires are a new thing, it is not difficult to invent pneumatic tires according to the production ideas provided by Li Mingyuan.

Under Li Mingyuan's special attention, hard rubber water pipes and pneumatic rubber tires were produced two days after the rubber-soled cloth shoes were equipped to the troops.

After inspecting the performance of the new product accompanied by several Prussian technicians from the rubber factory, Li Mingyuan praised the employees involved in the production, then gave them some rewards in the name of the government, and finally ordered his entourage to take away the produced pneumatic tire samples and hard rubber pipes to a newly established machinery manufacturing plant.

The Xinjing Machinery Manufacturing Plant, named after the place name Xinjing, is a new factory that was 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 plant, more than a dozen Chinese technicians stood in a row in the main workshop of the factory to greet Li Mingyuan and his party.

"Old Wang, have you finished the product I asked you to produce?"

Li Mingyuan strode into the workshop door and asked directly.

"Forty samples have been produced for each of the Yangjing and Yangche. All we need to assemble them is the rubber product parts that Your Highness brought."

A short Chinese man in his forties smiled and said.

"I have brought everything. According to the structural diagram I gave you, assemble two complete samples first."

Li Mingyuan glanced at the mechanical products arranged in two rows in the workshop and waved his hand.

"As you command, Your Highness." The old factory director bowed to Li Mingyuan.
He called five or six Chinese technicians to take the rubber parts brought by his entourage, and then started tinkering with the two mechanical products.

About twenty minutes later, the old factory manager with black hands completed the assembly, and two products that were very common in later generations appeared in front of everyone in the workshop.

The two products produced in the workshop do not have very high technological content, but their inventions or improvements have greatly promoted the lives of ordinary people.

The first of the two products had been invented in European society for more than half a century. The Chinese workers who had seen its style in the workshop habitually called it a rickshaw, while Li Mingyuan preferred to call it a bicycle.

For products made by Westerners, Chinese workers were used to adding the word "yang" in front of the names. For example, matches produced in Rio Grande do Sul were called "yanghuo" by the Chinese, cement was called "yangni", and the kerosene lamp invented by the Dutch in 1853 was called "yangdeng". Yang lamps need oil as fuel. Due to the lack of oil resources in Rio Grande do Sul, kerosene lamps are relatively expensive. Ordinary Chinese rarely come into contact with kerosene lamps. Kerosene lamps are only available in mining areas such as iron mines and coal mining sites.

The names beginning with "yang" (foreign) given to products produced by Westerners mainly come from the curiosity of ordinary people about new things. Li Mingyuan did not forcibly change the people's name on this matter. As for the new bicycles that have been reasonably improved in the workshop, Li Mingyuan intends to give them the names of later generations.

"Bicycle" Looking at the new product that roughly conforms to the style of later generations, Li Mingyuan blurted out a new term.

"Old Wang, since this product is the first one we improved and produced, we shouldn't use the name given by foreigners. I think it would be better to call it a bicycle. Do you think it's appropriate?"

"The product structure drawings were drawn by Your Highness himself, so naturally it should be Your Highness who gives the order." The old factory director said respectfully.

"Bicycle? Can this thing move by itself?" A young Chinese soldier said in surprise when he saw this strange-looking thing in front of him.

"Haha, little brother, you have never seen foreigners riding rickshaws to travel. This thing can't move by itself. It needs someone to ride on it. Look, it's just like riding a horse."

A cavalry officer who had seen bicycles of this era before gestured.

"Haha, this brother is right. A bicycle needs someone to sit on it to move. But compared to riding a horse, riding a bicycle is much easier."

Li Mingyuan was in a good mood and introduced some common knowledge about bicycles to the Chinese people around him. Then, taking advantage of his interest, he rode the newly assembled bicycle to demonstrate it to the people in the factory.

A bicycle is easy to learn, but it is a little difficult for those who have never ridden a bicycle. Seeing Li Mingyuan riding a bicycle steadily in the factory yard, several curious Chinese officers also went up to try it, and naturally fell to the ground.

After everyone in the factory was excited about the bicycles, Li Mingyuan told the old factory manager again: "The bicycle production must be kept strictly confidential. Except for the technical workers in the manufacturing plant and those who I allow to have access to the bicycles, it is strictly forbidden to leak any information related to the bicycles. Violators will be punished according to military law."

"Don't worry, Your Highness. I guarantee that the staff of Xinjing Machinery Manufacturing Factory will never leak any information about bicycles to the outside world."

The old factory manager immediately expressed his opinion.

"I will send more troops to guard the outside of the factory. Your task inside the factory is to produce bicycles at full capacity. By July of next year, all bicycles produced in the factory must be equipped for use by the troops. Your production task is very heavy. If you have any questions, please let me know in advance."

"We will start production this month. With the existing manpower in the factory, we can produce about 400 bicycle parts and complete assembly per month. By July next year, the total output of bicycles can reach 6,000. I wonder if Your Highness is satisfied with this production speed?"

"Bikes will be in great use next July. Six thousand is too few. We need at least ten thousand. I will try my best to fill the gap in manpower in the factory. Can we achieve the production target of ten thousand by next July?"

"The steel processing plant is responsible for the smelting and forging of bicycle parts. As long as the factory there can supply enough parts and transfer 200 skilled Chinese workers, I and the employees of the manufacturing plant will hurry up to produce, and we will definitely complete the production target set by His Highness by July next year."

The old factory manager gritted his teeth and expressed his opinion.

"Okay, if you need anything for bicycle production, just come to me. When I'm not in Rio Grande do Sul, you can also go to Minister Liu if you have any questions. They will still meet your needs."

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

The old factory manager bowed, raised his head and continued, "Your Highness, would you like to see 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 the work.

The two soldiers followed the order and a few minutes later, a black 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'll know later."

Li Mingyuan smiled and said, "Old Wang, are the drilling personnel ready?"

"Everything is ready. We can start as soon as you give the order, Your Highness."

"Well, let's get started."

Li Mingyuan agreed, and the old factory director gave a call, and three Chinese workers carried out five or six iron pipes more than two meters long from the workshop, then marked out an area of ​​about one square meter in the open space in the yard. The three of them worked together to dig the earth within the designated land area. After about ten minutes, they dug a small pit of about one square meter and forty centimeters. Then the three of them took turns operating auxiliary equipment to drive the iron pipes into the ground.

Seeing the operations of the three people, many Chinese present had a familiar feeling. Although the operation methods were different, isn’t the purpose of drilling underground to obtain water?

In mainland China, the main way to obtain water is to dig wells, but the three people in the yard just inserted a few thin iron pipes into the ground. How can a bucket fit into such a thin iron pipe? And how can water be pumped up from the well without a bucket?

The crowd saw the intentions of the three Chinese workers but did not quite understand them, so they just watched silently at first. Then, not long after, several officers who were close to Li Mingyuan boldly expressed their doubts.

Faced with the half-confused crowd, Li Mingyuan just gave a brief explanation. After the underground iron pipes were installed and the installed iron tools were fixed on the iron pipes, Li Mingyuan explained to everyone the working principle of the new product.

Another product produced by the machinery manufacturing plant is the water pressure well, which is very common in rural areas in later generations and is also called foreign well in some places.

Li Mingyuan was not very clear about the specific time of the invention of the water pressure well. He only knew that the main principle of the water pressure well involved the air tightness. So he thought of using rubber as raw material to make hard rubber water pipes that are waterproof and confidential, and rubber parts inside the water pressure well to ensure air tightness. This gave rise to the idea of ​​manufacturing a water pressure well.

Compared with traditional wells, it is more convenient to get water from places where pressurized wells are installed, and it saves the trouble of digging wells. It not only facilitates the daily water use of ordinary Chinese people, but the benefits of using pressurized wells are more obvious in agricultural development.

In terms of industry, Rio Grande do Sul has unique Chinese inventions, such as rubber-soled cloth shoes, bicycles, and water wells.

These inventions will not only facilitate the lives of ordinary Chinese people, but also bring considerable economic benefits to Rio Grande do Sul.

Looking at the groundwater pumped from the water pressure well, Li Mingyuan's thoughts drifted towards the more distant future.

(End of this chapter)