The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1909-02-04
pENAl lJrED ALCOHOL.
Oregon Agritul aral College Gives In.
formation On This Subject.

| By C. E. Bradley, { RECON Agricultural College
| Corvallis.
On June 7, 1906. congress passed /;
law removing the internal revenue ia,
of $207 per ga Ion on grain alcoho
which had been properly denatured OF
rendered unit tor drinking purpose.
by the addition of certain materials
such as wood alcohol, benzine or py-
ridine. 1t was hoped that by the re.
moval OF this tax alcohol could be OBJ
tanned cheaply enough to compete
with petroleum for light and fuel. The
demand for such alcohol can be read.
! lily seen when we note that approx
mately 100000 gallons of gasoline
are consumed daily in the country and
that the increased demand for it, due
to the development of the modern ex-
plosion motor, has doubled its price
in the last ten years. Indiana and
Ohio oils contain only about S per
cent of gasoline and the per cent OF
the lighter distillate in California and
Texas crude oil is very low. The
supply of gasoline therefore seems to
be limited, but the demand increasing.
Alcohol, it has been demonstrated,
can meet this demand. Furthermore,
the annual consumption OF kerosene
in the United States approximates L.
900 100000 gallons, three-fourths o.
which are probably used by the far
mers. Since one gallon of alcohol i,
equivalent to two gallons OF kerosene
for lighting purposes, 375,00o0o0 gal
Ions of alcohol could be used on the
farms OF this country each year This
would require for its production 14o,-
100000 bushels of corn, or 100000
acres, an increase of per cent over
that now grown. If made from pota-
toes. this 375, Oo0,o 900 gallons of alcohol
would require 100000, 900 bushels, or
100000 acres, an increase of so per
cent over that now produced. The
present consumption of alcohol
amounts to but 100000 gallons per
year
Ethyl or grain alcohol is a natural
product, formed by the fermentation
OF various kinds of sugar through the
agency of yeast organisms. Since
starch is readily convertible into su
gar by either natural or artificial
means, materials which contain nota-
BILE quantities of either starch or SUI
gar may be utilized for making alco-
hol. The more important sources OF
alcohol are the cereals, potatoes. mo-
lasses and fruits. In France alcohol
is chiefly made from the sugar beet, in
Germany from the potato, and in
America from corn. A bushel of corn
will yield approximately % gallons oil
95 per cent alcohol; a bushel of pota
toes -fourths of gallon and
bushel of apples one-third of a gallon
In the large distilleries it costs
about II cents - manufacture and
place on the mark one gallon Of al
cohol. and the cost Of the raw material
used brings this o dinarily to approx
imately 30 cents. Allowing for the
necessary profit, alcohol will reach the
consumer at about 10 cents per gallon
But alcohol at 40 cents can compete
with kerosene at e cents for lighting
since alcohol has twice the
value of kerosene, and in
kerosene can never de-
mand more than one-half the market
price of alcohol.
For making cheap alcohol a cheap
raw product and well
equipped plant are necessary. The
plant should have a capacity of at
east 100 gallons per day the cost OF
such a plant being in the neighbor
hood of $4,000 No such plant can
operate successfully on waste pro-
iucts alone. especially if such are to
De obtained for only brief part OF
he year, as, for example. waste fruits
There must be some more staple pro-
iuct as basis, with the waste ma
erials handled as side issue. For a
staple in the Northwest we must look |
o potatoes or sugar heets. and dam
lged grain when it can be secured on
which materials, together with various
waste products, a plant could be OPP
rated throughout the year.