Jasper County Democrat, Volume 10, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 November 1907 — Denatured Alcohol. [ARTICLE]

Denatured Alcohol.

The manufacture of denatured alcohol Is engrossing the attention of farmers everywhere In the United States. However, the development of the industry since the favorable legislation by congress last year has been hindered by the apparent Inability of farmers to Immediately put the business on an economical and practical basis, says New England Homestead. It will naturally take some little time to work out this problem. A brief reference to conditions In France, where the Industry Is a practical gpcctta, will prove Instructive. It Is claimed on the continent that alcohol can be made more profitably from sugar beets than from potatoes. At least this has proved so In France. Farmers there, however, say that the distillation of beets ceases to be profitable .when the price of alcohol falls below 25 cents per gallon. In Germany great quantities of potatoes are distilled, largely by the small farmer, yet in many Instances these are favored by a premium or bounty of special character which helps make production profitable. In France the farmer alms to do his distilling after crops are harvested, when be has some slack time on his hands.