Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-02-26
81, OOO, OOO,O 900 in New Wealth Predicted
For Corn Belt Through Saving Waste

billion dollars OF new wealth for
the corn belt through the annual util-
ization Of Its 600 900 900 tons Of corn
stalks and 10000 900 tons of cobs. now
wasted Is the promise Of engineers and
chemists TO the American farmer.
How the greatest agricultural waste,
covnstalkS and cobS. can be made into
some 300 useful products is told In a
report to the Engineering Foundation
by Prof O. r. Sweeney OF Iowa State
College. In a decade or two they will
be utilized on large scale. he pre-
dIcted
Before the many products OF prom
islng usefulness could be made even Oh
a small scale in the laboratory" Prof,
Sweeney said wears had 10 be spent
in patient, ingenious. fundamental re-
searches to determine the exact chem
ical and physical natures OF these raw
materials and their constituents. MOI
only agricultural but also industrial
and economic problems had to be
solved with the aid Of engineering re-
search. experimenting the work OF the
scientist. Much remains to be done
Growers Of Other Crops Aided.
Iowa State College. in the midst OF
the corn belt, has been n leader IN inc
attack. knowledge being gotten III the
convnc.d will be useful also TO growers
of other grains peanuts, flax ana COT
| tim who have similar waste materials
| Civilized men will be- able TO continue 10
| feed and clothe the increasing populace
| and TO supply many OF their othei
wants by successful solution OF jus'
| these problems. =.
what does the laboratory ofIer &c
| industry from these raw materials now
wasted? Paper of several grades pa
nicr mache. wallboard and other sub
| st,tuses for building lumber, substitutes
| for nard woods used In furniture aho
| finish, Iayon. acetic acid. acetohe' L
/ sugar that can be used by diapetlc"
| maple sugar tiayoring TO be combined
with cane or beet sugar TO make maple
| syrup oxalic acid. plastic materials
/ electrical and heat insulation and fur
| fural.
"Furfural was ii laboratory chemical
not many years ago. scarce at $50 g
| pound Now 1t Is produced In large
quantities at IA cents. With increasing
| production, improved methods and de"
! veopment Of co-products. even the iat
! ter price may be more than cut In half
| Furfural Is A fluid heavier than water
| having many and various uses In plas"
tics, dyes. paint rcmovers. antiseptics
aneRthctics. germicidcs embaming
| fluids and motor fuels, 1t burns In
lamps with more brilliant fame thar
kerosene and has not the unpleasant
Dd0r OF the latter.
! Predicts New industries.
| IT The chemist and engineer and
/ farmer can solve the economic prob
| lrms. new Industries may dot the prai
res, Among these problems one OF the
| foremost has been the cheap collection
Of the stalks and Cobs TO u few placer
where they will be subjected to the first
steps toward becoming salcable com
modlties Special machines have beer
devised for gathering up the cornstalks
Ia the field. or for cutting the standing
| corn. husking the ears and khredding
the stalks, Another problem Ii the SAFE
ana inexpensive storage Of the raw ma
trrlala throughout the year. In order
that the industrial operations may b.
: continuous
AS contrahted with forests, which
, once cut, are not quickly replaced, and
commonly In America are not replaced
! st all, the corn wastes would be pro.
: duced year after year In great guam
| Titles within The same areas A.
| nearby fUrests have been consumed, fnf
example, The saw mills ana pulp mills
! have had 10 move Ia more and more
remote locations from their markets
Lest the corn production should de-
crease. the fertility of the soil must he
j maintained II has been learned that
this can readily DO done by growing