4 BULLETIN 182, U. SJ DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



a further incentive was given the manufacturer to improve the 

 process as well as the material. 



In 1868 the law regulating the mash-capacity tax, which had ap- 

 plied to Prussia and only a part of the other North German States, 

 was extended to all of the States of the North German Federation. 



From the following figures the development of the alcohol in- 

 dustry under this mode of taxation is readily shown. Previous to 

 1857, the year in which the Association of Spirit Manufacturers of 

 Germany (Verein der Spiritu& Fabrikanten in Deutschland) was 

 organized, but few data are available. The low yield of 2.5 per 

 cent, on which the rate of taxation was based in 1820, speaks for 

 itself. In 1853, 5,962 distilleries were operated in Prussia (Meitzen, 

 1869, p. 553). Of these, 4,701 were located in the country and 1,261 

 in the cities. Within the same territory in 1907 there was but little 

 deviation, the number of distilleries being 5,995 (Behrend, 1907, p. 

 395). However, the growth of the distilling industry can not be 

 measured by the number of plants. For example, a reduction of the 

 number of small stills in Bavaria and their replacement by larger, 

 more rational outfits meant a positive advancement. A more correct 

 indicator of the growth is found in the quantities of crude material 

 used. For Prussia in 1855 and for the corresponding territory in 

 1905. the figures, expressed in pounds avoirdupois, are shown in 

 Table I. 



Table I. — Potatoes and grain used for distillation in Prussia. 



Material used. 



1855 



1905 



Potatoes 





pounds . . 



1,915,800,000 

 308,640,000 



4,706,820,000 

 518,080,000 



Grain 





do__. 





The consumption of potatoes, therefore, has increased 2^ fold 

 during the past 50 years, and that of grain 1^ fold. In this con- 

 nection it should also be remembered that the starch content of the 

 potatoes has been increased. 



The best indication of the growth, however, is found in the out- 

 put of the finished product. Assuming an alcohol yield of 8 per 

 cent in 1855 — a rather high figure — Behrend (1907, p. 395) computes 

 an output corresponding to 32,757,700 gallons (124,000,000 liters) of 

 absolute alcohol. Figured on the same basis, the production in 1860 

 may be estimated at 42,003,825 gallons (159,000,000 liters) and in 

 186^5 at 52,570,825 gallons (199,000,000 liters) of absolute alcohol. 

 In 1907 the production of spirit in the German Empire exceeded 

 105,670,000 gallons (400,000,000 liters), and in the territory corre- 

 sponding to the Prussia of the earlier days it exceeded 79,252,500 

 gallons (300,000,000 liters). The production of spirit since 1855, 



