232 The Sugar-Beet in America 



beets at a low cost. In unusual times and when sugar is 

 scarce and high priced, it may be manufactured at a 

 profit even if the beets are not raised in an efficient manner 

 and if the cost of production is high ; but if conditions 

 tliroughout the world become balanced, beet-sugar will 

 not be able to compete with cane-sugar, even though the 

 former may enjoy a limited protection. The life of the 

 industry depends on the efficiency of the beet farmer, who 

 should seek in every way to reduce costs rather than to 

 increase them. The process of extracting sugar from beets 

 has reached a high state of perfection. The farmer should 

 try to make his methods equally perfect. 



The constant friction between the farmer and the sugar 

 company regarding the price of beets causes the farmer 

 to make his costs seem as high as possible, whereas the 

 manufacturer wants them to be low. This leads to con- 

 siderable discrepancy in estimates of costs and makes it 

 more difficult to determine actual costs. The profit- 

 sharing plans for paying for beets, which are being dis- 

 cussed more each year, will necessitate definite cost figures 

 being obtained, not only for the making of sugar, but also 

 for the raising of beets. Farmer and manufacturer alike 

 should be interested in keeping the cost of both phases of 

 the industry as low as possible in order that each may 

 obtain the greatest profit. 



Practically the entire world's supply of sugar under 

 normal conditions comes from countries such as Cuba, 

 Java, Germany, Austria-Hungary, France, and Russia, 

 where labor is much cheaper than in the United States. 

 If we are to produce sugar in competition, it is essential 

 that our labor be made as efficient as possible by the use of 



