24 SUGAR 



difficulty. The farmers and the factory now understand 

 each other better. The farmer is bound by contract 

 to use the best seed, and the right kinds of manure, 

 and to deliver the roots clean and well trimmed. If 

 Germany in a good year can make an average yield of 

 nearly seventeen per cent, of sugar, it is certain that 

 nothing but first-class roots have been delivered. The 

 weight of roots to the acre varies in different countries. 

 Germany averages between ten and fourteen tons, 

 Austria much less. Russia cannot get beyond six to 

 seven tons. 



The cane crop fortunately takes place at very various 

 times in different quarters of the tropical regions, and 

 thus does not flood the markets of the world with all 

 its sugar at once. But Cuba, stimulated by the United 

 States' preference, now makes 3,000,000 tons of sugar, 

 and as it naturally sent its sugar to the market where 

 at one time it enjoyed a preference of about Is. 6d. 

 per cwt., the American markets were flooded with 

 Cuban sugar during the crop season. This led to the 

 curious and abnormal fact that in the early months of 

 the year the price of sugar in America was often Is. 6d. 

 per cwt., and even more, below what is called the 

 world's price. The preference has now been reduced 

 to Is. 2d. 



It may be interesting to note the dates at which the 

 various crops of cane sugar begin. All the West India 

 islands begin in January, except Cuba, which is a 

 month earlier. In the United States the cane sugar 

 districts of Louisiana and Texas begin in Septem- 

 ber. Mexico, like Cuba, begins in December. In 

 South America, British Guiana has two crops, May and 

 October, while the Argentine gets to work in June. 

 In the East, Java, a most important crop, begins in 



