34 BULLETIN 182!f U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



possessed sufficient technical skill to prepare the yeast himself. He 

 claimed to obtain a yield of 10 to 11 per cent of alcohol, which com- 

 pares very favorably with that of the smallest distilleries. The 

 strength of the alcohol obtained was about 90 per cent, somewhat 

 lower. 



The cooperative distillery at Perlach has existed as such since 

 1886. The distillery itself was erected and equipped in 1880 by 

 private means at a supposed cost of about $95,400, and was pur- 

 chased by the cooperative corporation in 1886. A share in the co- 

 operative society consists in the right to draw 264 gallons of spent 

 mash, and represents a stock value of about $600, There are 20 

 of these shares, representing a total stock of about $12,000. The 

 plant was bought for about $28,620, there being an original indebt- 

 edness of about $16,600. The actual value of the plant was said to 

 be four times the sum paid for it, but the stock had not been watered, 

 neither did the books of the company show a higher value. Pre- 

 miums were paid in a semiprivate way. 



While there can be but 20 shareholders, a share may be divided 

 among two or more persons, only one of whom, however, can be 

 the actual shareholder, the others being associates. Thus, the smaller 

 farmers were enabled to take a part share, the total number of par- 

 ticipants at that time being 36, some of whom had only a tenth of 

 a share. For each tenth in which a farmer participated he drew 26.4 

 gallons of spent mash, as already indicated. Potatoes were bought 

 outright. During that season the prices fluctuated but little, lying 

 between 19 and 26 cents. 



The mash capacity of the distillery is 1,268 gallons per tub. The 

 allotment admits of a threefold operation for two days, alternat- 

 ing with a 3|-fold operation every third day. This was the best 

 utilization of an equipment that had yet been seen. It was made 

 possible, no doubt, because of the fact that the Bavarian distillers 

 were favored with a relatively high "Kontingent" in order to get 

 them to cooperate with the distillers of the northern States and Prov- 

 inces. Of this the northern distillers constantly complained. Be- 

 sides, in the distribution of the " Kontingent " every five years the 

 36 farmers belonging to the cooperative plant naturally exercised 

 a greater influence collectively than if each one were fighting for 

 himself and against his 35 neighbors. The yield of alcohol averaged 

 12 per cent, and the spirits obtained averaged 90 per cent. 



Owing to a variety of circumstances, such as improvements, the low 

 price of alcohol, etc., the company paid no cash dividends that year. 

 Each farmer, however, had received his spent ' mash, which was 

 valued at 2.7 cents per gallon. The farmers also received 1.2 cents 

 more per bushel for their potatoes than did the outsiders. If po- 

 tatoes gave out they could use maize, of which the distillery had 



