xxx ii. The Fermentation of Cacao 



it was practically similar to the motor spirit 

 that can be bought to day in any garage in 

 England. The conclusions that were arrived 

 at from the tests were that any petrol engine 

 of modern type can be run on alcohol without 

 any material change in its construction, and 

 that the only difficulty would be that of starting 

 up from cold. For air-cooled automobile en- 

 gines alcohol was found to be specially suitable, 

 as the temperature of the cylinder can rise 

 much higher before pre-ignition takes place 

 than is the case when petrol is used. No tests 

 were made to determine the maximum possible 

 change in fuel consumption that could be 

 effected by causing the spark to occur at differ- 

 ent positions, but it was found that an early 

 ignition was most suitable, and that the fuel 

 consumption was better at low than at high 

 speeds. When the initial compression was 

 increased from 75 Ib. to 125 Ib. per square inch 

 there was a slight but appreciable reduction in 

 the amount of fuel used. With any good 

 stationary engine it was found that a consump- 

 tion of 1*1 6 Ib. of alcohol produced the same 

 power as a consumption of 070 Ib. of petrol." 



In spite of ttie excise trouble elsewhere, no 

 doubt in the Tropics, although everyone there 

 is not always a strict teetotaler, the spirit could 

 be rendered so unpalatable that it would be 

 impossible even for the owner of the most 

 hardened palate to drink it, while its use, if pur- 

 chasable at a cheap rate, would by supplying 



