A. D. McNair
Published: 1911
Total Pages: 732
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"It is apparent that the business of distilling alcohol is one which calls for a considerable investment and no small degree of technical skill.It can not be conducted advantageously, from a commercial point of view, in very small plants on account of the proportionately high cost of the plant and of the labor; and many of the so-called "wastes" which have been suggested as fermentable raw materials are so poor in fermentable substance or so expensive to handle that their availability is thereby impaired. It seem that the business, to be productive of satisfactory returns, must be conducted on a fairly large scale, and that the best success is likely to be attained with raw materials of the general types already in use, namely, maize, potatoes, and molasses. The industry is not suited to every locality, and it is most likely to be successful if carried on systematically on a very large farm, or if supported by the joint interests of a fairly large community. The alluring statements sometimes made regarding large financial returns to be obtained by making industrial alcohol with waste, raw material, unskilled labor, and a "cheap" distilling outfit are misleading and can only result in loss if followed." -- Conclusion (p.32)
