and Magazine of the Ceylon Agricultural Society.— June, 191$. 



m 



AGRICULTURE AND DISTILLATION. 



Colombo, May 14fcb. 



Sir, — In all countries encouragement is 

 given to the manufacture of industrial alcohol 

 — for it is not only one of the staple neces- 

 sities of an enormous number of industries, 

 but subject to price would replace liquid fuel 

 and petrol as a means of energy. 



The importance that non-producing mineral 

 oil countries place upon it, is, that it should 

 be the main source of a large agricultural 

 development. 



More potatoes and turnips are grown for 

 alcohol production than for edible require- 

 ments. France and Germany lead the way and 

 both Governments strain every effort to en- 

 courage these industries. 



In 1903, the French Government gave a 

 special prize of 100,000 francs to the best 

 performance in the Pans —Vienna motor-car 

 race, to the driver using alcohol instead of 

 petrol. I used it myself in that race and it 

 gave great satisfaction. The fastest car in the 

 race, Monsieur de Knyff's Panhard, was also 

 driven on alcohol fuel. But the demand for 

 industrial alcohol is so great and the supply so 

 inadequate to meet the demand, that the price 

 is maintained beyond one competitive (sic) as a 

 fuel. Yet it can be manufactured at a price that 

 could beat mineral fuels out of the market. 



The importance is shown by the following 

 returns of production from figures I have be- 

 fore me :— 



Gallons. 



United States twelve months ending 1905 .. 117,1>1O,704 

 Germany do d) 1985 .. 200,053,119 



France tlo do 1905 .. 12,475,043 



Great Britain do do 1906 .. 3,6<i7,357 



Belgium do do 1905 . . 924, 441 



England is the largest user of industrial 

 alcohol and Germany's best customer. Yet 

 Brachvogel estimates that the States alone 

 could use 300,000,1 00 gallons if the price could 

 be reduced. The fluctuation of the price de- 

 pends entirely upon the potato crops and be- 

 tween the years 1900-5 it reached a minimum of 

 6 9 pence and 18 - 41 pence maximum per gallon. 

 The industry is an ever-growing one and must 

 continue to grow as other industries extend. 

 But there is a greater possibility even than that, 

 for there is no limit to the demand, subject to 

 the price, and continually new industries are 

 calling for it. 



In Ceylon there flourishes a plant grown by 

 the natives, merely as an edible, and that will 

 grow on practically every soil, that is far more 

 fitted than the potato, and will yield a far 

 higher return and produce cheaper alcohol than 



either potatoes or turnips. It will grow any- 

 where and I have seen it grown all over the is- 

 land. It can be planted on coconut estates be- 

 tween the trees. It should yield about 20 tons 

 to the acre and can be depended upon to yield a 

 sure crop. An extensive cultivation would re- 

 duce the price to somewhere in the neighbour- 

 hood of R.8. 5 per ton and would pay the plan- 

 ters handsomely. The yield in alcohol should be 

 in the neighbourhood of 26 gallons to the ton 

 or about 520 gallons per acre, at a cost (without 

 manufacturer's cost which is trivial) of about 

 Es. 110, with handling, or 2l"8 cents per gallon. 

 My figures are based upon practical averages 

 and not theoretical values. 



In previous correspondence I pointed out the 

 possibility of a combined sugar and distillery in- 

 dustry of value to the planter ; but the possi- 

 bility of the cultivation and utilisa'ion of this 

 particular plant surpasses the imagination. 



The trouble in the East has been that in- 

 dustrial undertakings have hardly been giveu a 

 thought to, and that the value of agricultural 

 pursuits has run in narrow grooves. 



Until rubber came into favour edible and 

 drinkable bases appear to have been the govern- 

 ing influence ; and the study of one particular 

 thing that of the whole community. But the 

 wide-awake Ceylon planter is, I feel sure, open 

 to examine new sources of profit and agricul- 

 tural development, and I venture to believe 

 my figures will interest him. That I do not 

 for the moment divulge what particular plant 

 I refer to will, I am sure, be excused — for there 

 is nothing patentable about it or the distillation 

 of it— an art which I might here say requires no 

 experimenting with, as has been suggested by 

 the Colonial Secretary with reference to Excise 

 matters. Every theoretical and practical value 

 is ordinary laboratory work and divulged in a 

 few hours. I have, however, had the honour of 

 passing on these facts to the Secretary of State. 



But I would point out that very shortly I will 

 place my services gratuitously before the Plan- 

 ters' Associatiou, and I feel sure they will give 

 me a willing hearing and I will givetliem facts 

 figures and results, and if need be practical de- 

 monstration. But it will hardly need that. A 

 brewer's chemist will answer all questions and 

 the mero name of the plant will be sufficient for 

 him to give a report upon. 



It must, however, be remembered that dis- 

 tillers of industrial alcohol in other countries 

 estimate their probable profits with the addi- 

 tion of the higher prices obtained for drinkable 

 alcohols, blending alcohols, wine fortifiers and 



