Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-04-04

kerosene Is generally sold in the farming
regions of the country. Since alcohol Is
free from the disagrceable odor OF kero-
sene. burns without smoking lamp chin
news. and Is entirely safe 1t follows that
a further reduction in It's cost would make
II a formidable competitor with kerosene
TIE farmers are also more Interested
than any other class In the question OF
an abundant supply OF liquid motor tucl
for the internal combustion engines which
are coming into gerenal use on the farms
in all parts of the country The markell
increase in the use of these engines III
the last few years has had the effect OF
advancing tho price of gasolenc, now the
only available motor fuel, fully 800 per
cent, and unless some substitutes can he
secured, its cost will become prohibitive.
one great advantage to the agricultural
interests of the entire country which will
he secured as the result of workable
law providing for untaxed denntured alco-
hol. is that the price OF those firm prod
ucts from which It may be more cheaply
produced can never fall below a point
which would give the farmers A satisfac-
tory profit. In other words, this lcgisla-
ton practically gives the farmer q policy
of Insurance against loss in growing corn
would Danish Kerosene rs a source Of
light and heat. and gasolene as a source
uf power. at the present prices OF these
articles. In my opinion the most prac-
! tcablc way in which alcohol can be pro-
| litaby produced by the farmers for tho
present at least, is through the estab-
| lshment of cooperative plants by a
number Of of farmers in suitable local.
| tics l believe that in such plants can be
utilized inferior and rejected grain, and
at certain seasons starch yielding vegc-
| tables. so as to supply the local demand
and motor fuel purposes.
| II ann advised by the United states de-
partmcnt of agriculture that they have re-
| Gently imported samples of potatoes
grown In Europe which have been found
, tn give "A very high percentage Of alcohol,
and that there are varitcs grown in this
country. with which the department is
now experimenting. which show q largo
starch content. In view of the fact, as
shown In the report of tho committc" on
ways and means perfccting tn" alcohol
laws. at in the fiscal year Of 1908 Ger
many used 91.1iS.1S2 bushels "f potatoes
in the production of alcohol there would
seem to be no reason why in many parts
of this country the cultivation of these
| special kinds of potatoes for use In the
production Of alcohol should not he found
profitable by our farmers. a matter of
! great Importance in relation to the capa-
city of our farms TO pr~1ucc practically
unlimited quantities of the materials from
| which industrial alcohol is made, is the
fact that tho growth of these farm crops
does not exhaust the soil. After tho alco-
hol has been extracted from; corn or po-
tatoes these materials are still servlcea,bl'
as cattle feed. in which form they ulti-
mately find their way back to the land.
Some disappointment has been expert
euced over the delay on the part of ouI
manufacturers to furnish alcohol burning
lamps stoves, heaters and otncr alcohol
using apparatus. similar 20 those used II
Germany | have personally invest Eatot
this matter and find that American manu-
faCturerS are preparing to put on tins
market in the near future lamps in Whici
it has been found by carefully conducted
experiments that one gallon of alcoho
will give as much light as two gallons o
kerosene. I have also seen samples o
cooking stoves. heaters and other alcohol
using appliances which will Inc on sale II
this country at an early date.
1T must be remembered that this legis
lation has been in effect for less thar
three months, and that Its enactmen
found the country entirely unprepared t'
take advantage of the opportunities which
It created. l am confident that after thu
amendments peifect!ng the law go int
effect on September / of this year thu
production and consumption OF denatureC
alcohol will be largely increased, an,
that all of the difficulties which have tend