MOTOR SPIRIT FROM POTATOES

Grey River Argus, 2 June 1914, Page 8

MOTOR SPIRIT FROM POTATOES

-\ ' • , - - — - *». .- Now that motor cars and motor trac ,, tors are necessary adjuncts to modern , farming, the^co^f of motor spirit bej comes one of personal interest, and the possibility of producing- it locally from a product of the farm is bound to attract attention. In' England, farmers' >socie~tie? are considering the question, •of establishing an iadustry for the extraction of motor spirit from potatoes. It has .been urged, says the "Morning Post," that as Germany has; created a 'th riving business we might, do the same in this country, but it does not- follow that the poslicy which finds favor^ elsewhere may be accepted without question in England. There,, are some 460.000 acres of potatoes .raised in England and Wales, whereas Germaoiv devotes considerably over 8,000.000 ' acres to the same crop. The policy which farmers have outlined for I themselves in this country favors the prodnrtion of the potato as a , vegetable, and compared with its value for spirit-making purposes, it is probabJv worth from two t^ four times as much when grown for the table. If, however, a spirit industry could absorb 1 the surplus and indifferent tubere. it would unquestionably be preferable to losing them in wholesale fashion, but it might further end to keep prices at a monotonous and unattractive level. Also as' a means of disposing of surplus stocks the spirit factory mieht be. very useful, and would no doubt he' eagerly supported, -but In a .- year of scarcity, there would be some 1 difficulty about , supplies. It is imI portant ta^ keep 'the land in* cultivation ; and no crop dnps more to maintain if in good- heart than -the; potato, which I is one of the pivots of the rotation. 1 1