224 . Dr. Andrew Steel [March 



The importance of the subject whether considered as re- 

 gards the interest of the agriculturist, the manufacturer, 

 or the revenue, appears at once from the facts, that in the 

 United Kingdom, above twenty-three million gallons of 

 spirits are annually produced, requiring above one and a third 

 million quarters of grain, the value of which may be esti- 

 mated at two and a half million pounds sterling, and yield- 

 ing a revenue to the Crown of above five millions per 

 annum, exclusive of the malt duty. 



That processes involving such vast interests should have 

 in this country been so much neglected, is certainly to be 

 wondered at. By our continental neighbours the subject 

 has been prosecuted with much assiduity. Their not being 

 hampered by such restrictive laws, in addition to the facilities 

 afforded in an investigation of this kind, by the immense 

 quantity of grape juice fermented, has enabled them in 

 some points decidedly to get the start of us. Not limited 

 to a certain class of materials, beetroot, potatoes, even the 

 potatoe apple and a number of other vegetable productions, 

 are made to yield a quantity of excellent spirit sufficient to 

 afford a fair remuneration to the distiller. 



Although our present revenue laws do not allow this 

 promiscuous employment of material, we have no doubt 

 that if it could be shown to be advantageous, to permit the 

 employment of others than those now sanctioned, or as 

 regards these if any alteration could be suggested by which 

 the processes could be shortened or rendered more produc- 

 tive, little difficulty would be experienced in obtaining such 

 a modification of the laws as to give encouragement to the 

 improvement of a manufacture of such national importance. 



At present an inquiry of this kind is one of peculiar interest 

 from the question of the propriety of the introduction of 

 molasses as material into our Breweries and Distilleries, 

 having been so lately the subject of a Parliamentary inves- 

 tigation, and the very contradictory evidence delivered to 

 the committee of the House of Commons, is a sufficient 

 proof, if any were wanting, how uncertain the notions of 

 even practical men are on this subject. 



Having the results of a considerable number of experi- 

 ments connected with these points which we have made at 

 different times, a knowledge of which we think will be 

 found useful both by the manufacturer and chemist, and at 



