1850 American Gold Tycoon.

"The farmers said just now that if you want the livestock to work, you have to feed the livestock fodder, and if you want the machine to work, you have to feed the coal, which is much more expensive than the fodder.

What's more, the master who drove the iron ox said that the iron ox was made of white coal imported from warships.Such precious coal is used by warships, but farmers cannot afford it. "Chen Baoliang expressed the aspirations of the farmers.

White coal or red coal is the common name for anthracite.

Anthracite is the most coalified coal.

Anthracite has high fixed carbon content, low volatile matter yield, high density, high hardness, high ignition point, and no smoke when burned.Black and hard, with metallic luster, rubbing with grease will not stain, the fracture is shell-shaped, the flame is short and smokeless when burning, and it does not coke.It is the best fuel and the most expensive coal.

Countries generally give priority to supplying this kind of high-quality coal to warships, followed by merchant ships on high-value routes.

Even the machines in the factory are rarely powered by white coal. The most direct reason is that white coal is too expensive.

Later generations, Liang Yao's generation, have very few opportunities to use coal in their lives when they grow up.

When I was young, I often saw briquettes in the streets and alleys. When I grew up, I hardly saw coal in my daily life.

It is not that there are no coal mines in California, but the coal produced in California is mainly bituminous coal, which is a low-metamorphism bituminous coal and coking coal whose coalification range is lower than that of anthracite.

In fact, the coal reserves in the entire western United States are mainly these two kinds of coal, especially the low metamorphic bituminous coal.

Moreover, the coal resources in the western region are concentrated in the four inland states of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah.

There are coal resources in the west coast, but they are not abundant. As for anthracite, it is even more necessary to protect an anthracite mining area in case it is needed in the future.

In short, with California's coal resources and types, it is impossible for Liang Yao to be extravagant enough to open up anthracite for agricultural tractors to burn.

There is naturally anthracite coal in the United States, which is vast and abundant, and anthracite coal can also be produced now.

During the expedition to Japan, Perry also sent several shipments of anthracite to Liang Yao.

Liang Yao also asked the sailors of the navy that the white coal of the navy was provided by Pennsylvania.

To be precise, it is provided by the Lehigh River Silent Coal Production Area, one of the world's famous anthracite coal areas.

The steel industry in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was able to grow and develop, which helped the United States surpass England in steel production, climb to the top of the world, and win the name of the world's steel capital.

The anthracite coal from the Lehigh River contributed a lot.

However, this anthracite-producing area is located in the Appalachian coalfield area, which is the eastern region.

It is only possible to let Pennsylvania's high-quality and cheap anthracite coal enter California in large quantities until the Pacific Platform Railway is completed. However, the Pacific Railway has only just started construction for less than half a year.

Coal is a bulk commodity, and there is no efficient freight logistics. For a while, Liang Yaozhi, an anthracite coal in Pennsylvania, will not be able to count on it.

Liang Yao might as well count on finding anthracite in Qing Dynasty instead of relying on the anthracite coal from Pennsylvania.

The coal reserves of the Qing Dynasty are the highest in the world, including anthracite.

However, the coal fields of the Qing Dynasty were mainly concentrated in the north, and the anthracite was concentrated in Shanxi and Guizhou.The anthracite reserves of Jingui and Guizhou provinces are nearly 70% of the total anthracite reserves of the Qing Dynasty.

At present, Liang Yao's hand in the Qing Dynasty can only barely extend to Guangdong and Fujian provinces, but not to the inland and north of the Qing Dynasty.

Fujian and Guangdong provinces also have anthracite coal, but the situation is the same as in California, the reserves are only a fraction of the domestic anthracite reserves.

Therefore, thinking about the anthracite coal in Fujian and Guangdong provinces, it is better to send people directly to explore the anthracite coal in California and nearby areas.

"Using the ordinary coal we produce in California, can this steam tractor run?" Liang Yao turned his head and asked Walter and others.

"It can run. We have also tested it with ordinary coal, but the effect is not as good as white coal, which will reduce the speed of the steam tractor." Walter said.

"How much speed can you run with ordinary coal?" Liang Yao continued to ask.

"About six miles an hour on flat ground," Walter replied.

Although Liang Yao advocated the use of metric units in California, old craftsmen like Walter, who have used imperial units since childhood, are still more accustomed to using imperial units.

Converting the speed of 6 miles per hour to kilometers is about 10 kilometers per hour. Although this speed is very slow, it is not unacceptable.

"Then use our own coal. I would like to say hello to the Coal and Steel Alliance and ask them to provide some cheap agricultural coal to farmers in California." Liang Yao said.

"On behalf of the farmers in California, thank you." Chen Baoliang gratefully shook Liang Yao's hand.

"Increasing the output of California's agricultural products is the best thanks to me. I hope that in the near future, California will not only be self-sufficient in food, but also be able to export and earn foreign exchange. I can't help but wait for this day." Liang Yao said with a smile .

Due to the faster and faster growth of immigrants in California, the food production has not kept up with the growth rate of immigrants, and it is still unable to achieve self-sufficiency.

Of course, this is not a bad thing from another perspective. In the United States, manpower is the most valuable.

After visiting the steam tractor and the wheat field, since it was still early, Liang Yao decided to take a stroll around now.

The boundless golden wheat fields and the patchwork rice fields on both sides of the San Joaquin River make people feel happy.

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The nearby water conservancy facilities are also very well renovated.

The officials of the Ministry of Agriculture told Liang Yao their ambitious plan, that is, within three years, the wasteland along the San Joaquin River will be reclaimed into farmland, rivers and vegetable gardens, making this place the granary and vegetable basket of California.

Chen Baoliang also took the opportunity to propose to Liang Yao the idea of ​​establishing Stockton as a city.

"What is the current population of Stockton?" Liang Yao asked.

"That depends on how you calculate it. If you only count the population of the town, there are 9000 people in Stockton Town. If you count the scattered farmers around, it must be over [-]." Chen Baoliang said.

"Stockton is a town dominated by an agricultural economy, and the population certainly cannot be as concentrated as Jinshan and Los Angeles."

When the population of Stockton reached 8000, Chen Baoliang proposed to the state to upgrade the administrative level of Stockton from a town to a city.

Just at the beginning of the statehood, California established a law that only settlements with a population of more than 1 residents can be established as cities.

The population density of the United States is low, especially in the South and West.

In the western region, let alone a population of 9000, a settlement with a population of 1000 dares to call itself a city.

"Mr. Fremont, what do you think?" Liang Yao turned to look at Fremont.

At this time, Fremont was obsessed with admiring the pastoral scenery of Stockton.

After regaining his senses, Fremont smiled and said, "Stockton now has a population of 9000. With the current population growth rate, Stockton's population will exceed [-] after Christmas at the latest.

Minister Chen's request to apply for the establishment of a city is not groundless.California already has three industrial cities, and it needs an agricultural city to attract more immigrants into agricultural production activities. "

Fremont is also very much in favor of Stockton's upgrade of the administrative level. Fremont was also very surprised by the rapid development of the agricultural areas on both sides of the San Joaquin River.