ALCOHOL FROM POTATOES.

Evening Post, Volume C, Issue 37, 12 August 1920, Page 7

ALCOHOL FROM POTATOES.

In view of the difficulty of finding a payable market for New Zealand potatoes, it was suggested recently by Mr. D. Jones (Kaiapoi) that industrial alcohol might be made from the tubers. In reply to this, the Minister of Agriculture has furnished a report from the Director-General of Agriculture (Hon. W. Nosworthy) quoting the statement of Dr. Maclaurin, Dominion" Analyst, that one' ton of potatoes should produce approximately 27 gallons of alcohol. One gallon of petrol would equal approximately one gallon of absolute alcohol when each was used in an engine designed for that class of fuel. "A ton of potatoes should, therefore, produce, at a cost of 20s 3d for manufacture, alcohol worth £4 19s, taking the retail price of petrol at 3s 8d per gallon. That is to say, the alcohol from a ton of potatoes should give a net return of £3 18s 9d, less the oost of the potatoes delivered at the factory and less the cost of selling. This return would not. in my opinion, enable the grower to obtain a sufficient price for the potatoes on his farm to waxrant his producing them for the purpose of being used as -raw material for the manufacture of alcohol." As the matter is of great importance, the DirectorGeneral is going more fully into it, and will furnish a further report. Mr. Jones has also interviewed the Minister of Customs (Sir William Herries), who said his Department would not put any unnecessary obstacles in the way.