The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1909-09-01
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that farmers are not actively promot-
ing the manufacture of denatured al
cohol. He says:
$50 far as | have been able to find
out, the farmers themselves are not
taking a very active interest in the
question of the establishment of small
stills with which they can make al
cohol from their refuse products. The
department has established a still
here in which denatured alcohol is
being made from all kinds of refuse
material. Last year we established
school of instruction and notified the
heads of experiment stations in all
the states, as well as others who had
shown an interest in the matter, and
invited each of them to send some one
here for instruction. What was the
result? Less than twenty responded,
and the representatives of only few
of the experimental stations took the
full course of instruction.
"The work done here will, l believe.
ultimately be of value to the farmers.
Getting such things before the farm
ers of the country is usually matter
of years, however. | told the commit
tee of the House and Senate when l
appeared before them that the de-
natured alcohol law would not be
success in one, two or five years. L
have had previous experience in in
ducing farmers to take up the cultiva-
ton of sugar beets. | talked sugar
beets to them for upwards of twenty
years before l could induce them to
begin raising them. Now sugar beets
form a considerable proportion OF the
total annual value of the agricultural
products of this country. So it must
be with the production of denatured
alcohol Through this slow process,
and in number of years, the manu-
facture of denatured alcohol on the
farm will become a reality.
'But the small farm still is not
among the possibilities. When 1 was
in France recently [ visited Norman
dy the apple growing district of that
country. l found that the French ap-
pie growers had formed associations
of about a dozen members each; had
established stills and were turning
out the best apple jack I have ever
seen. They used only the waste pro-
duct; the apples for which they had
no market. They contributed this
material and charged nothing for it,
as it was worth nothing to them and
otherwise would have been thrown
away. Their labor was contributed at
time when they had comparatively
little else to do. Therefore the cost
of production of that fine apple jack
was reduced to minimum, and 1t was
profitable undertaking.
"The American farmers must pro-
coed in about the same way in the
production of denatured alcohol for
their own use. A farmer who owns
as much as five thousand acres would
be warranted in putting up a still for
himself. Owners of small tracts, how
ever, would have to form associations
and establish one still for each four
or five thousand acres. On this basis
still could be put up with capacity
of about 100 gallons day. That
would produce enough alcohol for
each member of the association to
light his house, to have fuel for his
cooking, to run his farm machinery,
and have some to spare to run his
automobile.
Waste material should be contrib
uted. In some of the Middle West
and Far West states, for instance,
sugar beets are produced. There isn't
anything better for making alcohol
than the refuse of sugar beets. Pota-
toes, fruits and corn that is unfit for
market are also good for the purpose.
Being waste material, the contributor
must do as the French apple growers
do-contribute it for nothing. Ger
tainly it isn't worth anything to him,
and under no business rule could he