MOTOR SPIRIT FROM POTATOES.

Bruce Herald, Volume L, Issue 32, 30 April 1914, Page 4

MOTOR SPIRIT FROM POTATOES.

The possibility of establishing a tieW industry by the extraction of motor spirit from potatoes has been engaging the attention of several representative farmers' societies lately (says the 'Morning Post'). It has been urged l that as Germany has created a thriving business we might do the same in this country, but it does not follow that the policy which finds favor elsewhere may be accepted without question in England. There are some 460,000 acres of potatoes raised in England and Walea, whereas Germany devotes considerably over 8,000,000 acres to the same crop. Tho policy which farmers have outlined for themselves in this country favors tho production of tho potato as a vegetable, and, compared with its value for spirit-ma long pwposes, it is probably worth from two to four times as much when grown for tho table. If, however, a spirit industry could absorb tho surplus and indifferent tubers, it would unquestionably be preferable to losing them in wholesale fashion, but it might further tend to keep prices at a monotonous md unattractive level. Also as a means of disposing of surplus stocksthe sp' rit factory might be very useful, and v >uld no doubt be eagerly supported but in a year of scarcity there would be t some difficulty about supplies. It is important to keep the land in cultivation, and no crop does" more to maintain it in good heart than the potato, wliich is one of the pivots of the xotatlon,