Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-10-31

But this is not certain, for alcohol must
be distilled to a high point before it can be
used as fuel Fermentation produces a mix
ture of alcohol and water in which alcohol is
only Il per cent. That is, it produces
''thirty-two'' proof alcohol. Now alcohol must
be at least 100 proof, or not more than so
per cent water, befre it will serve as fuel
And to distill it to that point heat must be
used. This use of heat to produce fuel, is,
of course process which to certain ex-
tent defeats it own end But the bureau of
chemistry has also found that the water can
be separated from alcohol by freezing, be-
cause water freezes at a higher temperature
than alcohol. 1t seems probable that this
freezing method will ultimately replace dis
tilIatiOn as a method of raising the proof of
fuel alcohol The freezing process will leave
in all the impurities and so insure that no
one can drink the stuff
To the layman who is used to paying a
steep price for alcohol in any form, it seems
improbable that this substance should be
made cheap enough to burn in a motor. But
the materials from which alcohol is made
are easy to produce and very abundant in
nature
Alcohol is made from sugar. Sugar is
made from starch. And either sugar or
starch occur in practically all forms of vege-
tation. 1t is possible to make alcohol out
of every weed and tree that grows. OF course,
it is practicable to only certain forms
of vegetation for making alcohol. Our pres
ent largest and cheapest source of industrial
alcohol is "blaCk strap" which is sugary
residue that is left when all the crystalline
sugar has been extracted from sugar cane.
But in addition to this source, alcohol has
been made in commercial quantities from
saWdust and mill waste, from the sap of
palm trees, from the Mexican Agave, from
Gull apples and potatoes, from sorghum, sugar
beets and garbage.
Saw mill waste is one of the most promis-
ipor IF oIn nhnJ Io 4
with some confidence that the making of al
cohol from saWdust is most promising
field of enterprise. A government Investigator
says that 49.1 per cent of the lumber cut
is waste. that is, nearly half of every tree
cut down goes into sawdust and scraps
Some of the scraps are used locally for fuel.
and some of the sv adjust was used for
covering barroom floors and is still used for
stutflng lOW-grade dolls. But over half of
this mill waste is really wasted. It lies on
the ground and rOts. And all of it can be
made into alcohol, but the waste of cOnifers
evergreen trees, such as pine and spruce)
is especially valuable for this purpose. The
INVESTIGATOR quoted says that there are at least
fifty locations in the United States where
stills for the making of alcohol from saw
dust could be profitably operated at present
prices. All such establishments would have
bright futures.
The use of wild vegetables for making
alcohol is another interesting field for ex-
pertinent. In the southwest are great areas
covered with cactus and Spanish bayonet
These have been tried as a source of alco-
hOl, but their alcohol content seems to he
low, and when a supply has been exhausted,
it is a long time replacing itself But there
are numerous other forms OF wild vegetation
than be tried
The most valuable source of this kind SO
far discovered is the nipa palm swamps of
the Philippine Islands. Alcohol is now
me- la thn Of &bO
low cost. There are vast swamp areas in the
Philippines covered with this growth and
most of this wilderness has not been touched
1t seems not improbable that swamp areas in
this country might also contain some plant
readily convertible into alcohol.
At any rate, here is a new and promising
held for that enterprise and ingenuity for
which we Americans are famous.