The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-09-21
WEALTH IN CoRNCOBS.
New Industry Being Developed by
the Department of Agriculture
Result Of Experiments.

Washington Star.
In the manufacture of alcohol from
corncobs and cornstalks, at small cost,
the department of agriculture is de-
veloping. Il new industry that the de-
partment says is likely to be of large
commercial value. Investigations
which the department. is making at
Hoopeston, III, have proved that the
large quantities of corncobs which
every year heretofore have gone to
waste, can be converted into alcohol
III sufficient quantities to justify the
erection of distillng plant in con-
nection with corn cannery.
Result of Experiments.
The department of agriculture sent
two chemists to Hoopeston to make
experiments at a large cannery there.
They have succeeded by simple meth
ods of fermentation in getting a yield
of eleven gollons of alcohol from a
ton of green cobs, but similar methods,
of eleven gallons Of alcohol from a
ton Of green cobs, by similar methods,
concerning the experiments by one Of
the scientists of the department reads:
cat different times during the past
twenty-five years the department has
conducted experiments along the same
line, but with common field corn
stalks. These tests show that there
are 240 pounds of fcrmentabe sub
stance in ton Of green cornstalks,
which will yield about half of their
weight i'll absolute alcohol. In round
numbers a tom Of stalks will produce
100 pounds Of alcohol or 200 pounds
of proof >;,::'itS. AS gallon of alco-
h"l weighs nearly seven pounds, there
should be fifteen gallons Of alcohol
III Il ton Of stalks.
"Not only are the cnbs a waste pro
duet. hut the Irregular and spoiled
ears CT corn as we'll. Hand labor is as
yet employed in the huSllm%, and all
ears are put in. as the wage is based
upon a measure full. As the measures
Of ears ar pmpticd upon the convey
"rS. the ears unfit for use are cullcL
a> they ~ by. These cullcd ears are
ais" waste. The expense of bringing
them to the point where they are cast
aside is quite as much as the perfect
ears. The addition of the corn on
the cob adds further to the POSSIBLE
ties of alcohol obtainable from ton
Of cobs and will have its Influence in
bringing the quantity to greater fig
ure.'
Cost Of Distilleries.
1t has become quite a habit with
manufacturers in various lines to at
tach subsidiary plants to their factor
les to recover and utilize otherwise
waste products. What the expense of
attaching a distilling plant to a pack
ing house would be has not yet been
determined, but the actual expense of
distilling the alcohol from corncobs
should not be greater than 3 cents a
gallon. AS the cobs are now waste
product and an expense to dispose of,
the cost of the raw material should
not be large. A molasses distilling
plant with capacity Of 10000 gallons
daily costs about $4,000, but it is
thought that smaller plant would do
for most packing houses. The same
possibilities that apply to distilling
connected with corn packing plant
would obtain in the use of tomato
parings, pea hulls, banana rinds and
many other articles Of vegetable re-
fuse. 1t is even possible at small
cost to remodel brandy still so that
it can be used for brandy during the
fruit season and for the remainder
Of the year for manufacturing alcohol
for use in the arts.