Chapter 990: France's Industrial Development Plan
It was a long wait before the bubbling sounds of boiling liquid finally echoed from the reaction vessel.
Lavoisier stood by, watching the technicians work with a practiced eye. He had already guided them through the production process countless times. Turning to the Crown Prince, he explained the current stage of the operation.
"The solution will be distilled shortly," he said. "After that, it will be pumped into another vessel to begin the cooling and precipitation process."
He paused, observing the gauges. "Of course, there will be impurities in the final product, but those can be handled with simple processing."
He pointed toward the discharge outlet, where three workers were busy shoveling damp, pale-yellow powder into burlap sacks.
"Once dried, we will have potash fertilizer with a purity of over ninety-seven percent. Currently, this factory can produce about a hundred bags a day, which is roughly five tons—provided we have enough raw materials."
"You have done an excellent job," Joseph said, nodding in approval. He then shifted his focus to the future. "Tell me, how long do you think it would take to increase this capacity by a hundredfold?"
A monthly output of one hundred and fifty tons might seem impressive, but for the agricultural needs of all France, it was like adding a single spoonful of sugar to a swimming pool.
According to the estimates Joseph had requested from the Ministry of Agriculture, the country would need at least two hundred thousand tons of potash fertilizer annually to see a significant impact on crop yields.
"Indeed. I have already ordered the leveling of land and the construction of housing near the salt mines in the Palatinate. You may go there to oversee the plant's construction whenever you are ready."
Lavoisier had grown accustomed to the Crown Prince's staggering efficiency. He continued, "If we are to produce five hundred tons a day, the reaction and heating equipment will need a complete redesign. Fortunately, we can use the local coal for heating; I recall there are coal mines in the Palatinate."
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "The crushing and coarse screening processes will also need improvement... Your Highness, I will strive to have the facility operational within a year."
Joseph was about to say that such a timeline was acceptable when the Father of Chemistry suddenly looked a bit conflicted. "Your Highness, there is just one matter... My wife is due to give birth soon. The doctor says it will be the month after next."
"Congratulations, Baron Lavoisier!" Joseph replied with a warm smile. "I will send palace matrons to care for her, and you are free to return home to visit whenever you wish. I know it seems cold to ask you to travel now, but the farmers of this nation truly need your expertise."
Lavoisier sighed softly. "Your Highness, what I mean is that Marie-Anne is my most vital assistant. Without her help, the speed of my experiments will be significantly hampered."
"That does make things difficult," Joseph comforted him. "In that case, do not obsess over the schedule. There will be much for you to manage in the future; wait until the child is a bit older before fully committing to the site."
Lavoisier bowed quickly. "I thank you for your understanding, Your Highness. I believe Marie-Anne will be able to join me in the Palatinate by early next year."
Joseph suddenly realized that as industrialization deepened, labor shortages would become chronic. In the future, the number of women participating in industrial production would have to increase.
In fact, the participation of women in the workforce was a hallmark of progress in the industrial era.
In this age, women were largely relegated to roles as domestic servants or laundresses. If they could enter factories in large numbers, France would effectively gain a massive labor force that its rivals lacked.
Furthermore, it would significantly boost the overall consumption capacity of society.
However, if women became workers, a new problem would arise: children would be left unattended at home, and no one would be there to prepare meals.
'It seems I should consider pilot programs for kindergartens and low-cost canteens in areas with high worker density,' Joseph mused.
Of course, before any of that could happen, he had to address the social mindset.
Currently, the idea of women working outside the home was still unacceptable to the vast majority of people.
In history, even into the nineteenth century, the English writer Charlotte Brontë had to write Jane Eyre in secret and publish it under a male pseudonym because female authors were frowned upon.
Joseph looked at Lavoisier. Perhaps he could use this opportunity to make Madame Lavoisier a role model.
It would be best to select a few women from the royal family to lead the trend of women working.
If he promoted this idea gradually over the next seven or eight years, people's perceptions might begin to shift.
"Your wife has made outstanding contributions to France," Joseph declared. "Once the fertilizer plant in the Palatinate is in production, I believe she should be granted a title of her own."
Lavoisier's heart hammered in his chest. He bowed deeply once more. "This... this is truly generous, Your Highness! If Marie-Anne hears of this, she will surely faint from excitement."
"I promise you, the fertilizer plant will be completed on schedule!"
Subsequently, Joseph and Lavoisier discussed the technicalities of processing potassium chloride into potassium sulfate, and even further reacting it with phosphate—the "stone fertilizer"—to produce potassium dihydrogen phosphate.
For agricultural production, potassium chloride was not the most ideal fertilizer, as long-term use could lead to soil acidification due to chloride ions.
Potassium sulfate was a much safer alternative, though it required additional reaction steps.
Potassium dihydrogen phosphate, however, could be considered the most powerful fertilizer achievable under current conditions.
A single fertilizer could provide both phosphorus and potassium, halving the labor for farmers and significantly reducing transportation costs.
Of course, these advanced developments would have to be handled by Lavoisier slowly over time.
Once chemical fertilizers were widely implemented across France, grain production would skyrocket.
Even the fallow periods for arable land could be drastically reduced.
In truth, the reason humanity was eventually able to ensure that all social classes could eat their fill was largely thanks to chemical fertilizers.
Increased food production would support a larger population base, which in turn would drive industrial production further.
An hour later, having finished his inspection of the potash plant, Joseph returned to the Palace of Versailles. His schedule was packed, and he immediately headed to a cabinet meeting.
Mirabeau began by reporting on the potash plant to the assembled officials before continuing. "While it will take another year for potash to reach mass production, our phosphate plant in Tunisia has been completed. We expect to produce five thousand tons of phosphate fertilizer per month starting next month."
Phosphate production was relatively straightforward, as the guano found in North Africa and Nauru was already quite suitable for direct application.
The phosphate plant's primary role was simply to crush and filter the material so that its fertilizing power could be better utilized.
With the aid of steam engines, the crushing process was incredibly efficient, which was why the Tunisian plant had been able to start production so quickly.
After Mirabeau finished, Joseph turned his gaze to Vergniaud, the Minister of Agriculture. "The Ministry's primary task this year is the promotion of these fertilizers and the reclamation of arable land in the Rhineland."
Vergniaud had already prepared detailed plans for both tasks and immediately stood to report his progress to the Crown Prince.
Once he finished, Joseph looked back at Mirabeau. "Once the grain production in the Rhineland has stabilized, you must begin the work of developing the coal and iron mines in that region."
Comments