After testing, Marin found that the cement ball shells made by pouring cement directly into the bowls on both sides did not seem to be compact enough. As a result, Marin and the craftsmen worked hard to improve the manufacturing method of cement ball shells.

Specifically, let people use the means of kneading dough to knead a cement ball larger than the specified cannonball with cement, and compacted it desperately. Then, put it in two halves of the wooden bowl and press it hard again to press out the excess cement. In this way, after two presses, the structure of the cement ball shell is very tight. After a while, the bowl is removed (because it is compacted, there is no need to remove the bowl after an hour, but it can be removed quickly), and the cement ball is dried or blown dry, and the resulting cement ball cannonball cannonball is not much different from the stone ball cannonball.

This way of pouring cement balls to make cannonballs is not too simple. After experiments, Marin found that as long as the wooden bowl with the seat mold is provided, any construction worker can produce hundreds of cement ball shells a day, with low cost and simple process...... Unlike cast iron ball shells, which required an ironworks and a large number of craftsmen. Moreover, because molten iron can scald people, cast iron ball shells are also very dangerous. Accidentally, molten iron splashed on people......

For the production of cement ball shells, any construction worker can start mass production of cement ball shells by disassembling the cement bag, mixing the cement, and taking out the mold wooden bowl. The cost is low, and the production is convenient and fast...... There is no need for a special site, just find a random place in the field, mix a bunch of cement, and then you can mass-produce artillery shells...... Oops, that sounds horrible......

In order to make the shells stronger, Marin also asked people to add tough thatch to the cement balls when kneading them, as the "bones" of the cement concrete. It's not as strong as reinforced concrete, but it's much better than not using it......

……

While Marin and a group of craftsmen were developing cement ball shells, Albert, the governor of the North American colonies and the North American twin islands, was directing the immigrants to launch a vigorous spring ploughing in the North American colonies.

Because after the experience of almost dying from the last arrow, the young Albert has matured a lot all of a sudden. After recovering from his injury, Albert became a different person, and his whole person became more calm and careful......

Once upon a time, Albert saw his brother Marlin wearing plate armor every time he went out, and he also laughed at Marlin for being timid. However, after the experience of almost dying last time, Albert finally understood Marlin's approach. If he had been wearing breastplate armor last time, then the inferior earth bow and arrow of that native, would not have hurt him at all.

Albert didn't know that Marin was killed by a brick in his previous life, and he had already died once, so he was naturally more life-sparing and more careful. So, every time he went out, Marin would wear breastplate armor and a helmet. In addition, there is a group of strong men around him, who can block his guns and arrows at any time......

Although I don't know what Marin really thinks, after what happened last time, Albert also began to spare his life......

Previously, Albert, who was more fond of civil style, usually wore silk robes and looked more like a civil official. But after what happened last time, Albert began to pay attention to his own safety. After all, if you have suffered a loss once, you will not change it, that is a stupid shortage.

Now, when Albert went out to inspect the spring ploughing, although he was still wearing a silk robe on the outside, he was wearing a steel vest on the inside. In addition, although the hat on the head is also in the style of a civil official, the inside of the hat is also padded with steel sheets, high-carbon steel sheets......

It is worth mentioning that this year's spring ploughing in the North American twin islands has shifted its focus to Manhattan Island, which was bought from the Delaware......

Although the total area of Amerigo Island and Columbus Island is larger than that of Manhattan Island, the freshwater resources of these two small islands are far less than that of Manhattan Island.

Why? Because Manhattan Island is a long strip of islands located in the middle of the Hudson River. Although they are also surrounded by water, Amerigo and Columbus are surrounded by sea. The island's agriculture relies on small rivers that prioritize the island's freshwater resources.

Manhattan Island is also surrounded by water, but it is surrounded by fresh water, which is very convenient for planting.

Therefore, Albert directly moved the governor's palace to Manhattan Island, and cultivated it on a large scale, intending to turn the 59 square kilometers of Manhattan Island into an agricultural island.

In this era, watered land along rivers was a treasure in Europe. Because, installing a big waterwheel by the river, irrigation does not require manpower, and it is very convenient. In Europe, watered land along large rivers is generally used to grow high-value wheat. Rye is cultivated only on land that does not depend on the great river. After all, the difference between wheat and rye is several times greater.

Manhattan Island is a long strip of island at the mouth of the Hudson River, and the whole island is flat and easy to get water, which is suitable for irrigation. Therefore, Albert simply built a dozen large waterwheels along the island's river, using natural water power for irrigation.

For safety, Albert also built a small castle in the center of Manhattan Island as the governor's palace. In addition, five bunkers were built around Manhattan Island to guard against Indians.

Under the protection of 5 pillboxes, the farmers of the island began to work hard......

The peasants on the island were all brought by Albert from Cape Breton Island. Previously, Marin had transported tens of thousands of English refugees to Cape Breton Island. Albert felt that it was too much of a waste, so he asked Garland to ask for a few thousand people to come over. It just so happened that there was not so much labor needed on Cape Breton Island, so Garland sent thousands of immigrants to Albert.

A few thousand people develop a small island of only 59 square kilometers, which is absolutely enough. It just so happened that Marin brought Albert a lot of cattle imported from Crimea, and with enough manpower and cattle, Albert directly began to develop Manhattan Island. In this regard, Marin also agreed. After all, by developing Manhattan Island, the Grand Duchy of the North Sea can truly be regarded as having a foothold on the North American continent. The previous Cape Breton Island, the North American twin islands and Newfoundland Island were all suspended overseas, and only when Manhattan Island gained a firm foothold could it be regarded as reaching into the North American continent.

Because of the abundance of labor and cattle, and the abundance of fresh water resources on the long strips of Manhattan Island. So, Albert decided directly - to grow wheat on a large scale on the island of Manhattan.

Wheat is a high-value agricultural product, a pound of wheat can be sold for 5 pfennig in Germany and 1 shilling in Spain, a proper "luxury" in the grain world, and belongs to the favorite of the aristocracy. After all, white bread made of fluffy wheat flour is a symbol of nobility. And the best of them all, the Queen's bread with honey, cream and spices, was enjoyed only by the great nobles......

Albert was financially savvy, and he knew that if he planted wheat entirely on Manhattan Island, it would be much more expensive to ship it back to Europe when the wheat was harvested than to sell rye.

Of course, limited by age and knowledge, Albert did not know how to keep a low profile and hide. Unlike Marin, who is more cautious, even if there are many, many rye, they don't dare to sell it openly. Otherwise, they will definitely be beaten up in groups, and then forced to hand over the secrets of high agricultural yields.

Fortunately, Manhattan Island is not large, and it will only be developed into 10,000 acres of arable land (it can't be all arable land, as well as building and ditch areas, and roads). That is, 60,000 mu, even if all the wheat is planted and the yield is high, it will be 30 million pounds of wheat. This kind of quantitative scale, even if it is invested in the European market, will not make too many waves, and it is not easy to attract attention. Unlike Marin's rye, which can easily cost more than a billion pounds, if it is put into the market on a large scale, it is estimated that the price of rye can be reduced by half. But if that's the case, Marin probably won't be far from being beaten up all over Europe......

But in any case, the value that can be created by 60,000 acres of wheat land is indeed quite high. According to the calculation of 5 fennig per pound, 30 million pounds of wheat can be exchanged for 150 million fennig, that is, 2.5 million gold coins, which is very scary. This is more than the annual revenue of the Republic of Venice and double that of France......