Omaha daily bee., 1906-09-23
LATENT POWER IN CORNCOBS
EnOOurseinE Results Of Experiments Con-
Quoted BY the Government
WASTE PRODUCT TURNED INTO ALCOHOL
sweet Corn Juicier Than the Common
Grade-speeulstive Reflections
on the Possibilities OF
the Discovery.

The cornoob pipe. proudly named Mis-
souri, meersohaum." will not long retain
its monopoly OF corn cobs Another COM
petitor IL In the field, determined to wrest
the cob from Prince Nicotine and convert
It into alcohol for power purposes.
The Department OF Agriculture has been
experimenting at a distilling factory near
Hoopeston, ILL.,, and has discovered that
corncobs 'can be converted into alcohol in
suficient quantities to justify the erection
OF distilling plant In connection with tho
cannery."
simple methods of fermentation were
employed in securing the alcohol from the
cobs," says Secretary Wilson, and eleven
gallons to the ton OF green cobs was pro-
duced At this rate the experts have fig
ured out that over 100000 gallons of
alcohol could have been distilled from the
corncobs and cornstalks produced in the
corn crop of ae6 in Iowa alone. Put to use
| as a motor power. that amount OF alcohol
would be capable OF propelling a car seating
seventy people at a speed of hfty-fve
miles an hour for nearly 100000 miles.
II is pointed out that the danger Of trolley
lines IN the downtown thoroughfards OF the
large cities may lead 20 the substitution OF
alcohol for electricity as a motive power.
TT had been a generally accepted theory
with the department that sweet cornstalks
would produce a larger percentage Of a1oo-
hol than the common field corn but the
experiments at Hoopeston did not prove
this TO be the case. From the experiments
Il 10 estimated that the cost of production
will not exceed cents per gallon. No only
would this by-product be Of value in itself.
but II lie predicted that the result Of its
manufacture would be to decrease the price
Ia% "A he
give the consumer more corn and less
chicken feed"
UtiIixing Waste.
Not only are the cobs a waste product.
but the Irregular and spoiled ears as we'll.
Hand labor is yet employed In huslxing and
all ears are put in, as the wage scale is
emptied upon a conveyor and the ears unit
for canning are culled as they go by. These
| cuiled ears are also waste The expense
in bringing them to the point where they
are culled and cast aside Is quite as great
| as with perfect ears. The addition of the
corn on the cob adds further to the posi-
bilities as TO the amount of alcohol OBJ
tainable from a ton OF cobs and will have
its influence in bringing the quantity to a
greater figure.
United States. Statistics show that the
average pack of corn for the last ten years
has been 6,094.446 cases In each case there
| are twenty-four pounds of actual sweet
corn. It is estimated that there are $50
! pounds OF corn In a ton as IL Is hauled in
out of the field with the husks on The
remainder is waste. OF this waste $50
pounds are husks and the remaining $50
pounds represent the cobs In ton. The
pack of 1906 was the largest in the history
of the business. 1t amounted to 13,AS 665
cases. with these figures It is not din
cult matter TO determine the enormous
The discovery is a very important one.
| which tends to further increase the list of
agricultural products from which alcohol
| may be obtained. Some idea may be gained
| OF the great waste to the Gamers by a short
| review of the output OF the canneries Of the
| waste that the packer must suffer. Figur-
| ing eleven gallons of alcohol to the ton Of
cobs gives some idea Of the amount of
alcohol which could be extracted from this
waste and converteA into a marketable
article at small expense
wOul Mean Better Corn.
The converting of this waste into alcohol
would mean a better grade of corn at a
lower price and set a standard which would
be quite generally adhered to. especially
1