1850 American Gold Tycoon.

Chapter 362 Steam Tractor

After the steam engine tractor is ready, the driver starts the steam tractor.

The chimney at the front of the car then slowly spewed black smoke, and the huge noise soon rang through the wheat field and reached the ears of every onlooker.

After a while, the steam tractor finally started slowly.

"The Iron Bull is moving! Look! The Iron Bull is moving!"

Seeing the steam engine tractor start, a child riding a pony shouted excitedly pointing at the slowly moving steam tractor.

Everyone laughed happily and continued to watch the subsequent performance of the steam engine.

It is vivid to call a steam tractor an iron ox, and the steam tractor does the work of cattle and horses.

At first, the speed of the steam tractor was very slow, even slower than the speed of a person walking, and was soon left behind by the cattle and draft horses.

But with the full combustion of coal in the fuel compartment, the speed of the steam tractor increased accordingly.

After a period of acceleration, the speed of the steam tractor was finally maintained at 12-14 kilometers per hour, which is slightly faster than the speed of human jogging.

If this kind of locomotive is used as a means of transportation, such a speed is undoubtedly unqualified. The place where the steam tractor is driving now is flat ground, and even at this speed on flat ground, it may not even be able to climb a steep slope.

But as a road roller and agricultural machinery, the speed of 12-14 kilometers per hour is completely acceptable.

The driver, who was so ashamed by the black smoke, leaned on the railing of the platform, carefully controlling the direction of the steam engine.

Liang Yao and Walter trotted to catch up with the steam engine and stepped onto the platform.

The platform behind the steam tractor is very spacious, and it is not a problem for three or five people to stand on it.

The crude cutting knives of this era obviously cannot be compared with the modern cutting knives of later generations. Where the cutting knives dragged behind the steam engine tractor passed, although the wheat fell in pieces, there were still many fish that slipped through the net. After the knife passed by, it still stood tall.

At this time, the people following the cutter took up the sickle and gave the fish that escaped the net to Your Excellency, and then tied the harvested wheat on the ground into bundles.

Agricultural machinery in this era can improve production efficiency, but it still cannot completely liberate manpower.

"Your Excellency! Our tractor has overtaken the cattle! It will soon overtake the horses!"

Standing on the platform of the steam tractor, Walter was as happy as a child and shouted loudly, pointing to the draft horse that was getting closer and closer to him in front left.

Because the noise from the steam engine was too loud, the only way to make the other party hear what he said was to raise the volume by shouting.

The conversation between Liang Yao and Walter on the tractor platform was all about shouting.

"Good! Good! Good! Very good!" Liang Yao shouted happily.

If this humble steam tractor proves to be practical, it could greatly improve agricultural productivity.

The steam engine tractor can not only install a cutter to harvest wheat crops, but also install a plow directly off the ground, or install a water tank to water directly, and even farmers can stand on this spacious platform to fertilize.

This platform is still very practical, it can be used not only as a cab, but also as a working platform.

When Liang Yao was thinking wildly, the steam engine had already surpassed the draft horse on the left front and ran ahead.

Liang Yao noticed that the length of the steam engine's cutting knife is three times that of the horse's and oxen's. It is self-evident whether the harvesting efficiency of livestock is higher or the efficiency of steam tractor is higher.

"More than a draft horse!"

Walter cheered and greeted the farmers trotting along behind the steam tractor.

The onlookers also booed and cheered.

A farmer couldn't help admiring: "This iron ox seems to be more powerful than an ox! It can run so fast with such a big cutting knife. I can't bear to let it go for my old horse." This kind of work. This kind of work is destined to kill the animals."

"It's a machine! It's not an animal! As long as you have enough coal, you can keep working! Animals get tired, but machines don't!" said another farmer.

"That's not necessarily the case. At the beginning of the year, a factory in Jinshan blew up two boilers. I heard from their master chef that the reason for the explosion of the boilers was caused by overuse. The machines are like animals. They will feel tired after working all the time! They will die. !” retorted a farmer.

"Come on, the machines in those factories in Jinshan are fucking money printing machines. Those machines have never stopped since they started. Those factory owners are reluctant to let the machines stop.

This iron ox is different. If someone drives it, we can rest at night, and the iron ox can also rest.When we rest during the slack season, Tie Niu also rests. "Another farmer said with reason.

"I heard that this iron ox has 12 horsepower, but I don't know how much it is. If it is not expensive, I will buy one even with a loan, and I can rent it out when I don't use it." A farmer was moved.

"What is 12 horsepower?" A farmer was puzzled.

"The master who drove the iron ox said that the strength of this iron ox is as strong as 12 horses." The excited farmer explained.

"Livestock are very expensive in the market now. A skinny old horse costs seventy or eighty dollars, and a good horse costs more than one hundred dollars. Just like this, you may not be able to buy it even if you stand in line." The farmer interjected.

"Isn't it? Those horse breeders have made a lot of money. I heard that General Liang is going to form a cavalry regiment. A cavalry regiment needs thousands of good horses.

In my opinion, the livestock in our California will only become more and more expensive in the next few years. If this iron bull costs around 1000 US dollars, I will buy one even if I get a loan from the bank. ”A farmer strongly agrees.

"You still haven't considered it thoroughly enough." A farmer said after careful consideration.

"Although the iron ox is good, it needs to eat grass to run, just like the cattle and horses. The cattle and horses eat grass, but the iron ox eats coal.

The coal used for steam engines is much more expensive than the coal we burn for heating in winter, and it is also much more expensive than the fodder for cattle and horses. You didn't take this account into account.

The master who drove the iron ox said that what the iron ox is now burning is white coal from Wales, England. This kind of coal is very expensive, and it is this kind of coal that is burned on warships. "

Chen Baoliang, Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture, trotted all the way to chase the steam engine tractor ahead, while listening carefully to the voices of these farmers, keeping their words in his heart.

After a period of driving, the steam tractor reached the end of the wheat field.

The driver of the steam tractor did not slow down, but turned the steering wheel in advance to prepare for turning.

Walter told Liang Yao that at present, steam tractors cannot control the driving speed very conveniently, and they basically work to the end in one go.

If you want to slow down, you must control the amount of coal in the hearth furnace. If you are driving alone, it is difficult to control the amount of fuel. If there is too much waste, it may turn off if there is too little.

Restarting the fire after turning off the fire will consume more coal.

What's more, the speed of the steam tractor is not fast now. If the speed is too slow, the steering may not be able to move.

To be honest, the riding experience of the steam tractor was very bad, and the bumps and bumps during the driving made Liang Yao very confused.

After experiencing it for a while, Liang Yao jumped off the platform.

The result of this game is no suspense, the steam tractor won.

This kind of crude steam engine that looks like a train locomotive with four wheels is simple and expensive, but it is still a machine, and its efficiency is guaranteed.

This game has proved the practicality of the steam tractor, and it is time to consider the issue of economy.

There are currently two machinery companies in California that can produce this steam tractor, one is the General Machinery Company of the American Group, and the other is Pratt and Whitney's Pratt & Whitney.

Liang Yao asked about the production cost of their steam tractors. The production cost given by General Machinery was US$740 per unit, and the production cost given by Pratt & Whitney was US$800 per unit.

The reason for the $60 price difference is that the locomotives produced by Pratt & Whitney are licensed by General Machinery, and Pratt & Whitney needs to pay licensing fees and patent fees.

"If it's selling for $1000, I think a farmer in California can afford a steam tractor," Whitney said.

"Only old farmers and collective farms with certain family backgrounds can." Chen Baoliang said, "Mr. Whitney, you are too optimistic about the income of California farmers. $1000 is an astronomical figure for ordinary California farmers. The poor There are a lot of new immigrants, if you want to open up the steam tractor market, I suggest you set the price a little lower."

Although steam tractors are good things, Chen Baoliang still hopes that the price of steam tractors can be lowered so that more farmers can afford to buy steam tractors.

"Minister Chen, our company also needs to consider operating. In all fairness, the profits of steam tractors are not high. Moreover, we also need to provide after-sales maintenance services, training driving services, and follow-up research and development and improvement work for these sold steam tractors. These all cost money." Whitney said with a look of embarrassment.

"The price is set at 850 US dollars each." Liang Yao said.

"But your Excellency, in this case, Pratt & Whitney will definitely lose money." Whitney said hastily.

"If Pratt & Whitney produces steam tractors, General Machinery can exempt the license fee and production fee for the pioneer locomotive." Liang Yao said.

"At the state legislature meeting at the end of the year, I will also propose a financial subsidy for steam tractors to the state legislature. As for the amount of subsidy, it depends on the financial situation of the Ministry of Finance next year.

But your subsidies are definitely indispensable. The California government will not let the manufacturing companies in this state fail to survive, let alone the farmers in this state. "

With Liang Yao's words, both the people from Pratt & Whitney and the representatives of the agricultural association present heaved a sigh of relief.

Liang Yao's words carry weight in the state assembly, so there is no need to say too much.

"Speaker, there is another small question, which is also the voice of the farmers." Chen Baoliang hesitated to speak.

"In that case, let me listen to the farmers' aspirations." Liang Yao was a little tired from standing, so he found a clean place on the wheat field and sat down cross-legged.

(End of this chapter)