l686 INDUSTRIES DEPENDING ON PLANT PRODTIC'IS 



The productive power of these works, although considerable, is not 

 sufficient for the present need. The output is large, but is limited by 

 insufficiency of material and workmen, etc. Whilst in 191 5 it was not pos- 

 sible to get enough raw material, in 1916, thanks to a better harvest, there 

 will be a bigger supply. But lack of workmen prevent the factories from 

 being used to their full extent. 



With the works going continuously day and night for 200 days all 

 the factories of the empire are able to produce 12 million tons of dried 

 potatoes from 30 million tons of raw material. 



That the quantity produced by the whole empire does not meet the 

 needs of the population is due to the fact that dried potatoes are wanted 

 for horses too. For if each horse received daity only 4 ^/^ lbs, 2.6 millions 

 tons would be consumed by them in a year. Further, if cattle, pigs, sheep, 

 goats and horses, a total of 60 million head of stock, received 2.2 lbs. of 

 dried potatoes each daily, they would consume 21.9 tons of dried potatoes 

 yearly, and this corresponds to 87.6 tons of fresh potatoes. 



The technique of dessication has made surprisingly rapid strides in 

 the few years since it was first started. Cylinders, " Walzenapparate ", 

 and drums " Trommelapparate ", are now generall}" used. The former 

 can deal with 1.2 or 1.5 tons of potatoes per hour, and the latter up to 5 

 tons. The fresh potatoes are transformed into a dry substance which is 

 easy to transport and which can be preserved almost indefinitely. They 

 are generally made into flakes and cubes for cattle and into various potato 

 flours for human consumption. The machines are easy to run ; 8 to 10 HP 

 is enough for those of medium size and 15 to 25 for the larger ones. On an 

 average 12 to 14 tons of coal are used for 100 tons of potatoes for the making 

 of flakes, and 8 to 10 tons of»coke for the making of cubes. 



The total cost of drs'ing i c^vt. of potatoes is 0.30 to 0.40 mark and 

 from 0.40 to 0.50 mark in the smaller ones (a mark before the war equalled 

 11 '^{2 d and has by now fallen in value to about 8d). The cost has gone up 

 slightly since the war. Because of the increased cost of desiccating and 

 the high price of raw potatoes, a maximum price has been fixed for dried 

 potatoes, 22.0 marks per cwt. of flakes and 21.42 marks per cwt. of cubes 

 at the factory. 



Reckoning that 4 cwt. of raw material make i cwt. of dried product 

 and that i cwt. of fresh potatoes costs 4 or 4.5 marks, it will be seen that 

 the desiccation of potatoes ipays, even in war time, if the machinery is put 

 to its full use. Higher profits are made if other vegetable products besides 

 potatoes are used, and the greater their varietj- , the better. The machines 

 for making cubes are the best for this purpose, for they can also desiccate 

 beet root, leaves, cereals, grass, vegetables, and have earned the name of 

 " Allestrockner " (universal desiccators). 



Besides preparing stock foods, the machines for making flakes will 

 also in the future be more largel}' used for preparing food for human con- 

 sumption. 



