AGEICULTUEAL ALCOHOL IN GERMANY. 25 



part distributed among the workmen for use as food or to be fed to 

 the pigs. 



The grain for the most part is sold in Berlin, the straw being 

 kept for bedding, etc. Whereas at Dahlem barley was not raised 

 but had to be bought for the distillery, at Dahlewitz more than the 

 quantity required for the distillery is raised, the surplus being sold 

 in Berlin. In the malting process, oats are used with the barley in 

 the proportion of 1 to 3. The grain is not mixed in this proportion 

 at the time of malting, but when it is sown in the spring. It is be- 

 lieved that the natural mixture is better for the process of malting 

 than the artificial mixture. 



There were on the estate at that time 100 milch cows, 20 draft 

 oxen, a considerable number of calves, 26 field horses, 6 coach and 

 riding horses; also pigs and 300 chickens. 



While the estate was run largely as a dairy farm it was by no 

 means as exclusively such as the Dahlem estate. The cows were 

 allowed to calve twice before being disposed of, the bull calves were 

 sold when two weeks old, and the others were raised. Thus the stock 

 was replenished on the estate. The calves were pastured for a part 

 of the time, but the bulk of the 123 acres of meadow land was used 

 for hay (Heuwiese). The cattle bred were the black Dutch. 



All of the buildings looked very substantial, but the distillery, 

 which Avas about 80 years old, was of a specially heavy construction. 

 The interior was rebuilt about the time the present owner took pos- 

 session. Most of the parts, therefore, are modern, and the general 

 impression was very favorable, although naturally the arrangement 

 is not as convenient as it might be, because it had to be adapted to 

 the existing space. From the malting vaults to the receiving tank 

 of the finished product everything had the appearance of order and 

 cleanliness. 



'One fact observed was of special interest as showing the operation 

 of the method of taxation. The agricultural distillery is still taxed in 

 part in accordance with the mash-tub tax laws. This law has been 

 regarded as of special benefit to the distilling industry because it 

 stimulated a number of improvements, as, for example, the thick 

 mash. In order to utilize the mashiijg space to the utmost, this dis- 

 tillery has a contrivance which removes the skins, etc., from the 

 mash, thereby slightly reducing the volume. While such jj contri- 

 vance would not be necessary in tlie United States, it shows how even 

 in one of tlic; smaller distilleries every step is taken to reduce the 

 tax to \)(' paid. 



The capacity of the mash tubs is about 580 gallons (2,200 litcis) 

 per tub. About 500 tubs are fciinented during the distilling season 

 of Hi months, using a twofold oi)eration. About 1,215 gallons of 

 spent mash are obtained daily, .so that with 100 milch cows each cow 



