Chapter 1429: Upgrading the Dining Table
"Oh, Holy Mary! There are so many!"
Queen Mary instinctively reached to cover her mouth with a fan, but realized she was holding a gun strap instead, causing a moment of awkwardness.
As they spoke, the welcoming crowd surged forward.
Led by the Mayor and Speaker of Saint-Malo, along with Manager Delattre, over a hundred people excitedly bowed. Without time to rehearse, their shouts were a little chaotic: "Long live His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"
"Thank God for sending you to Saint-Malo..."
"Your brilliance shines upon us..."
Joseph smiled and nodded at the crowd, indicating, "I was just passing by and decided to take a look."
Delattre was immediately flattered. "Please allow me to explain everything to you, Your Royal Highness. Oh, as per your instructions, the workers aren't aware of your visit and are working as usual."
"Excellent. Thank you for your trouble."
Delattre then led the Crown Prince's entourage through the warehouses, sorting workshops, washing workshops, and butchering workshops, finally arriving at the steaming workshop at half-past three in the afternoon.
In fact, after the expansion, each prior step of the process had four to seven workshops, with densely packed buildings resembling a small town. The entire factory occupied nearly one-third of Saint-Malo's area.
Delattre eagerly pointed to several large pots in the center of the workshop, each taller than a person and nearly 2.5 meters in diameter. He announced excitedly, "Your Highness, these are the latest Papin's Digesters. They can sterilize fish in just 20 minutes. In fact, I had the technicians test it, and even heating for only 10 minutes prevents the canned goods from spoiling."
The "Papin's Digesters" he referred to were somewhat similar to modern pressure cookers, but due to limited manufacturing precision and the lack of rubber seals, they could only achieve a pressure of less than two standard atmospheres.
Still, this was enough to significantly boost cooking efficiency.
Delattre continued, "This facility can stew over 50 tons of cod daily, which is then canned in the workshops on the east side."
Joseph nodded and then inquired, "How much fish do the fishing boats in Saint-Malo catch daily?"
The Mayor of Saint-Malo quickly stepped forward. "Three years ago, it was less than 40 tons, Your Highness.
"Later, with the cannery established, more and more people came to settle and fish, and now it's approaching 70 tons."
Joseph frowned. "Meaning, a lot of fish still goes to waste?"
Delattre replied, a touch nervously, "Frankly, yes, Your Highness. But as you know, the factory ran into some trouble the year before last, specifically with the solder..."
"Thankfully, someone invented the 'seaming method,' which saved the factory. Now we're working hard to increase production, and we estimate that by next spring, we'll be able to process an average of 65 tons of fish daily."
Joseph knew that the "solder problem" Delattre mentioned was about the dangerously high lead content in the solder used for cans, which had prompted him to halt all tinplate canneries nationwide at the time.
Afterward, canneries had to revert to using glass jars, and some smaller factories couldn't survive and went out of business.
Fortunately, earlier this year, a technician from Bavaria finally produced a functional tinplate seaming machine, resolving the can-welding issue. In truth, with Joseph's clear direction and France's excellent foundation in precision machining, the development of such a machine was only a matter of time.
Because of this, many French coastal cities rich in fishing resources, such as Marseille, Calais, and even Tunisia, began constructing canneries on a large scale.
Previously, fish that were caught and could only be treated as waste were now treasures—
In Saint-Malo, for example, the high-quality cod caught there could sell for 1 Franc per kilogram in Paris.
Odorless sea fish were a luxury item reserved for the tables of the aristocracy!
This year, however, 2.7-kilogram cans of cod, flooding the Paris market, could be bought for just 1 Franc and 3 sous. These were already seasoned and cooked, guaranteed to taste no different from fish freshly pulled from the sea.
Currently, a very popular dish among Parisian middle-class families was pan-fried canned cod, and the broth from the cans, with some potatoes, artichokes, and tomatoes added, made a delicious soup.
This was even before the railways had been fully constructed.
Joseph estimated that once railways connecting Brittany, Calais, and other regions to Paris were completed, fish prices could drop by at least another third.
Simultaneously, inexpensive beef and pork from Italy and the Rhine region could also be canned, further enriching the dining tables of residents in large cities like Paris.
In truth, for ordinary citizens, the most direct experience of national prosperity was the ability to eat more, fresher meat.
Delattre then gestured northward. "Your Highness, earlier this year, we purchased three seaming machines. They're over there, and they can produce 12,000 empty cans daily."
Joseph turned his head, following the manager's finger, only then noticing that most of the metallic clanging sounds in the factory were emanating from that direction.
He glanced at his mother, then motioned to the factory manager. "Let's go see the seaming machines."
"As you wish, Your Highness."
The seaming machine was just over 5 meters long, driven by a lightweight 12-horsepower steam engine, with several conveyor belts and mechanical arms moving rhythmically back and forth.
Dozens of workers carried tinplate cans filled with fish onto the workbenches, carefully stacking them at the seaming machine's feeder opening, securing each with an iron clamp.
As the machine's main spindle rotated, the tin cans were lifted one by one. From the other side of the machine, a flanged disc arrived and was precisely pressed onto the can opening—a dedicated worker ensured perfect alignment.
The sides of the tin lid were first pressed to a 90-degree angle, then two cleverly designed inclined rollers on the machine pressed down, circling the lid to secure it.
Another wedge-shaped protrusion extended, folding the lid edge downwards.
The two rollers then completed another rotation, thoroughly sealing the can lid. Everything was incredibly precise and harmonious, like magic woven by mathematics and machinery working in concert.
Workers skillfully removed the cans from the clamps and sent them for secondary heating and sterilization.
Joseph picked up a tin can from a small delivery cart and shook it beside him. "This is a perfectly sealed canning container, made without a single trace of lead."
Queen Mary, however, hadn't been listening; her eyes remained fixed on the seaming machine. In that moment, she suddenly began to understand why her husband was so obsessed with these contraptions of steel.
Anyone who created such an artistic piece of machinery would find it a lifetime's worth of contemplation.
The Mayor of Saint-Malo once again stepped forward, eager to make his presence known. "Your Highness, to ensure the factory's production, the city council has decided to lower fishing taxes by one-third and expand the docks to encourage people to increase their catches."
Drawn by the cannery, Saint-Malo's population had increased by over 40% compared to two years ago, and it continued to rise.
Now, even the woods south of the city had been cleared to build numerous simple dwellings.
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