Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1910-11-10
SPUD ALCOHOL
FOR THE AUTO?
COST OF GASOLINE MAKES sur.
STIrtTE NECESSARY.
CAN BE MADE OF WASTE
Government Sends Experts to Ger
many to Get Facts About Manu-
iuVturc.


he used for running automobiles IL
the plans of number Of enthusiastic
| Investigators prove successful Sci
entists are working both I'm this
country and I'm Germany 10 solve the
problem Of producing cheap alcohol
from waste, ana potatoes are rocciy-
ing especial attention In their expert
Iments.
parngs and unstable tuhers car
he utilized IN the production of alco-
hds If there were numhcr of dis
tillerics In the potato growing belts II
/ is argued. the market would Ice
hrOadened and stcadied. II would
nos be necessary To lose a crop be-
cause Oi market 4 situation Of
this sort developed last season Ia
parts Of the vest where high class
potatoes grow IN abundance. In
spite Of prevailing high prices for
nearly everything IN Chicago and 0th-
er large markets the Westerners
found that conditions at the lime were
isuch that they could not ship their
potatoes with profit So in several
iplaces the crop went to ruin
Information has heen given out 10y
the United States department of agrl-
culture regarding the progress OF us
ing potato culls as source OF indus'
trial alcohol ana there Is also q dis
cussion OF the utilization of other
nstes
I Work Of this sort has received an
impetus because of the belief that
gasoline is going to become so high
priced as q result of ,he great yearly
iuc'ense i'm the number Of automobiles
thut II Will hc necessary 20 find a
cheaper substitute II Us assorted
| that alcohol could do the work, pro-
IYided II could he produced cheap
enough and that engines could be
CONSTRUCTED so thai IL can hc used.
| fin Germany and other countries
Ialcohol Is used successfully for rum
ining stationary and traction engines.
This industry has advanced far
enough in Germany SO that there
are now two classes of growers. those
|who produce potatoes for the table
land others who supply The manufac-
lturers Of the several products from
the tubers.
In addition 10 alcohol the Germans
make glucose ana potato starch from
the products OF the potato fields. on
account of their thorough going sell
entific methods the German growers
make the yield of their fields come
to about seven times the figure es-
tabllshed In the average American
field.
The growing importance Of the IN
dustrles based on the manufacture of
several products from potatoes in a
commercial manner, caused the de-
lpartment OF agriculture to send an
expert from Colorado to the old
world in order that he might study
conditions in foreign fields and fac
tories,
Eugene II Grubb, who was chosen
fdr tlloa nissl0ns returned recently
4 but declined % say much about what
he had found out until he had re-
ported to Secretary Wilson. II is
known, however, In spite OF efforts
on the part Of inventors to keep some
tof their processes secret. that tho
manufacture of glucose and alcohol
from potatoes has reached such pro-
portions abroad that most proms-
ing field for manufacturing has been
opened up.
According to the officials in chdrge
Of the distillery where the expert
ments for the department Of agricul-
ture were conducted, plants can be
| I'TlhDllFilfN uu ldIkt ldl MS VI ny
communities Of farmers. total IN
vestment Of 1000, 1t Is estimated
will provide a distillery which will
produce alcohol from patotocs on a
lprofitable basis.
The announcement that this can
be done Is founded on the knowledge
Of what has been done in other coun-
tries and the fact that large quanti-
ties of potatoes with the necessary
starch content are available In this
country at price that makes the
starting of distilleries practical. The
work OF the distillery Of the depart
mem of agriculture has shown how
rhe tubers can be handled econon~
| ically, and instructions for manufac-
ture are given free Of charge The
alcohol is denatured In order to ren
| der II unfit for drinking purposes, a
heavy tax thus being avoided
Owners OF the secret process are
making alcohol from sawdust, but
there is plenty Of material In sight
| that Is much more promising,
As alcohol Is produced hy lhe fer
montation of sugar II can be obtain
ed either from substances in which
the sugar Is found or produced read
| ily from starch. Potatoes contain
starch, and the operations necessary
In converting this into alcohol are
not especially complex.
The government experts point out
that ns n distilery should be located