AGEICULTURAL ALCOHOL IX GEEMANY. 13 



The value of the potato crop in Germany is shown by the following 

 figures, which give the average amount of raw food material pro- 

 duced by the various cereal crops from 1896 to 1901, as compared 

 with potatoes: Eye, 14,726,738,000 pounds; wheat and spelt, 6,790,- 

 168,000 pounds; all grains, 21,516,906,000 pounds; potatoes alone, 

 19,246,158,000 pounds. It becomes apparent, therefore, that potatoes 

 furnished but 10.5 per cent less raw food material than all the cereal 

 products combined. 



The potato crops gathered from land which was cultivated ac- 

 cording to rational methods exceeded by far the average potato 

 yield. According to statistics collected by the Association of Ger- 

 man Distillers for the Disposal of Alcohol, there were harvested in 

 some instances crops of more than 535 bushels per acre, while 

 yields of 300 to 375 bushels per acre were quite common. AVliile it 

 is true that such crops as these were produced only by very intelli- 

 gent agriculturists and under very favorable conditions, the possi- 

 bility of attaining these results proves that the total yields will 

 increase considerably in the future, for the experience which the 

 pioneers in this direction have obtained in cultivating potatoes will 

 naturally become common knowledge in the course of time. 



Where the cultivation of potatoes is carried on extensively, it 

 forms one of the best supports for rational methods of agriculture, 

 especially where circumstances are unfavorable to the cultivation of 

 the sugar beet. This is the case in the larger part of Germany. 

 While potatoes require good soil and considerable manuring, the 

 care in this direction is rewarded by large crops and an excellent 

 condition of the soil for the next crop, whatever that may be. 



The growing of largely increased crops has unfortunately one 

 drawback, namely, the danger of overproduction. Inasmuch as it 

 is not advisable to diminish the area cultivated except in special 

 cases and in a limited manner, it becomes necessary to find outlets 

 for the surplus. 



For many years the popular metliod of utilizing potatoes has been 

 as a crude material in the chemical industries. The most important 

 ingredient, .starch, is used either for the manufacture of pure starch 

 or for the transformation into alcohol by means of fermentation 

 after previous sacchai-ification. The process culminates in distilla- 

 tion, in order to separate the alcohol formed from the other sub- 

 stances of the tuber. 



In both cases the result is a product of almost unlimited sta- 

 bility, representing a high value in small (|uantities and providing 

 an article easily convertible into money. The by-products of estab- 

 lishments working with potatoes furnish large (juantities of nu- 

 tritious feed, and therefore potatoes form a valuable- crop when, 

 in connection with the agrirultural operations, the staicli-MiaUing 

 arid distilling industries arc coMilMucd. 



