The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-03-31
FLAX STRAW MAY
NOT BE SUITABLE
PROFESSOR MORTON DOES NOT
EXPECT TO SEE FARMERS MAN.
uFAcTuRlNG ALCOHOL FROM
THIS MATERlAL-TALks OF Al.
coHoL MAKING.

while l expect to see alcohol used
in lighting to considerable extent
do not believe that with present ma
terials and conditions it will ever he
come product made by the farmers .,
said Professor Morton, the denatured
alcohol expert of the agricultural col
iege. to The Forum this morning.
He started his experiments in max
ing denatured alcohol from flax straw
this morning and was engaged at the
time of giving the Interview, in stir
ing Kettle full of straw which he was
boiling with a dilute solution OF sui
phuric acid in order to release the
h'cholic making properties from the
straw.
i am not very hopeful of the pos
sible results of these experiments with
straw" he continued, "as do not
think that there are enough of the
right properties in the substance To
make alcohol from it in paying GUAM
titles. If 1t shows 5 per cent 1t NAV
be made practical and these tests are
for the purpose of deciding this mat
ter.
jun? at Conclusions.
People generally look at the quail
ICY rather than the quantity of the
alcohol and for this reason they get
excited when they find that such a
substance as flax straw, which is very
plentiful but practically worthless,
will yield alcohol. They do not stop
TO consider whether it will be pay
ing proposition to make alcohol from
these substances. However 1t NAV be
that by using the fiber part of the
straw In making paper and linen ma
terials and using the alcoholic prop
critics for making denatured alcohol,
II would pay.
People here believe that in Ger
many the farmers are engaged in
making alcohol while as a matter of
fact there are very few of the stills
used in this way. I do not think
that the farmers viii ever be. able to
make the product themselves as the
fermenting is very difficult and re-
quires much care. If the temperature
is allowed to drop 1t stops the work
ing of the yeast and allows other
cultures, not Of the right kind. to get
started and the result Is a failure.
However it may be that the farmers
can erect central distileries and many
also be able to produce the crude al
cohol and then take it to the central
rectifying still to complete the pro-
cess
while fully believe that alcohol
will be used extensively in lighting 1 |
doubt II it will be able to compete
with petroleum products and the
STANDARD Oil Coat least for many
years.
Corn she Best Material.
There is no doubt but that corn is
the best and cheapest raw material
from which to make alcohol as it's
yield is greatly higher. Potatoes will
yield about a fourth of what corn viii
and unless potatoes can be secured
at twenty-five cents a bushel they
cannot compete with corn.
81 have secured some nangel-wurt-
zelsF and viii also test these This
species Of the beet family win yield
ten tons per acre and have about 5
per cent of alcoholic properties but l
am afraid that they will not yield
high enough to make them profitable |
as raw material although they grow
well in North Dakotc."
Ignite of Little Value.
Alcohol Is being made from peat.
ton of dry peat yielding about forty
three gallons of pure spirit at fourth |
OF the cost of potato alcohol This |
has lead many people TO believe that |
alcohol can be made from Ignite as
It is a near relative to peat.
When asked about the probability Of
making alcohol from ignite Mr. Nor
ton said: Il do not thing that It |
would be of any use as peat is of a |
woody substance and while there are
some grades of Ignite, that are very |
brown, I do not think that any 4of it /
is woody enough