962 Agricultural Journal of Victoria. 



New. The formidable proportions at present readied by the industry 

 are clearly brought out by the following statistics: — 



The world's total output of beet sugar for the year 1901-2 reached 

 the enormous figures of 6j873,0U0 tons, of an approximate value of 

 £120,000,000. 



In 1901-2 there were 332 factories working in France, nearly 400 

 in Germany, and over 200 in Austria ; while in America the number 

 in operation at the present time probably exceeds 60. The total 

 production of refined sugar in Germany alou6, for the season 1900-1, 

 amounted to 1,292,167 tons, and in France, for the year later, 

 1,051,130 tons. For the French production there were 9,350,852 

 tons of sliced beet required, grown on an area of 772,100 acres. In 

 Germany, at a period even prior to this, the amount of land under 

 cultivation with beet roots for sugar purposes exceeded one million 

 acres. It is in America, however, that the industry has found the 

 most startling developments in recent times. Commencing with one 

 factory only, not many years ago, there are at present probably over 

 60 magnificently equipped works in existence ; and the dream of the 

 American sugar chemist appears to lie in the direction of making 

 the States entirely independent of outside supplies. In order to 

 accomplish this, it would appear, from an exceedingly interesting 

 paper in the Year Book of the United States Department of Agri- 

 culture for 1902, that 500 factories, of a daily capacity of 50O tons of 

 beets, would be required. For the equipment of these factories, an 

 investment capital of £50,000,000, and a working capital of £27,000,000 

 would be necessary. The annual requirement of beets has been 

 figured out at nearly 19,000,000 tons. For the labor in the factories 

 there would be an annual expenditure of £3,800,000 ; while the yearly 

 sum paid to farmei's for the beets would amount to nearly £17,000,000. 

 The idea can by no means be regarded as of a chimerical nature, and 

 doubtless, in a decade or two, the chances of its realization will be 

 more appai-ent than they appear to-day. Even in 1901, the factories 

 in existence represented an investment capital of £6,000,000, the 

 beets purchased for the year amounted to 1,875,000 tons, and the 

 money paid to farmers reached £1,687,500. The history of these 

 brilliant developments from such simple beginnings reads, as I have 

 already told you, almost like a romance. The great magician at the 

 back of it all has been the chemist. 



The Position of Chemistry as an aid to Agriculture 

 Confirmed. 



I have confronted you, I think, now, with sufficient facts to establish 

 the powerful influence exerted on agriculture by chemical investi- 

 gation and discovery. The review of the history and development of 

 agricultural chemistry has also been sufficiently complete, to indicate 

 the position of this department of science in its Avhole relations to 

 agriculture. This review will facilitate a proper conception, on your 

 part, of the functions of a State agricultural laboratory, and the 

 duties of its chemist. 



