SUGAR 87 



time ruining her own countrymen. Many West Indian estates 

 went out of cultivation. 



Next came Sugar Beet. The beetroot sugar industry was 

 established by Napoleon I in France in order to render her 

 independent of supplies from British colonies. It has ever 

 since been pursued with the greatest care and intelligence. 



Later on other countries took up the industry, notably 

 Germany. Continental Governments encouraged beet-growers 

 in every possible way, giving them a bounty on every ton of 

 sugar they were able to export. As a result of this, and the 

 fact that the abolition of slavery had disorganized the West 

 Indian industry, beet sugar could be sold at a price lower than 

 cane sugar, and, as cheapness, to the exclusion of every other 

 consideration, made an unfailing appeal to us, we bought 

 beet sugar, with the result that we became dependent on foreign 

 supplies and our preference for beet sugar almost completed 

 the ruin which the abolition of slavery had begun. 



In spite of all this, however, sugar is still the chief industry 

 of the West Indies. The partial abolition of the bounty 

 system in 1903, improved methods of cultivation, and the 

 preference granted by Canada to British grown sugar, have all 

 helped to improve the condition of affairs, though as late as 

 1913 we spent 23,066,621 on sugar, of which money only 

 930,933 went to British possessions. 



Sugar requires a rich soil and a hot moist climate ; it can 

 be grown successfully in all parts of the world where these 

 conditions obtain, though it does best on land not too far from 

 the sea. 



SOURCES OF SUPPLY. In our own empire, besides the West 

 Indies, British Guiana and Mauritius are our most important 

 sources of supply. 



British Guiana lies between Venezuela and Dutch Guiana 

 in the north of South America. From the coast inwards 

 stretches a belt of hot moist lowland on which are situated 

 the sugar plantations. Demerara, the name of one of its 

 rivers, and of one of the three counties into which the colony 



