THE BEET INDUSTRY 115 



The United States, after a few unsuccessful efforts 

 in former days, began, in 1890, seriously to embark 

 in the industry of beetroot sugar production. Clever 

 men made a careful study, in the European countries, 

 of the methods of manufacture ; the Department of 

 Agriculture, and especially Dr. Wiley, the chief of its 

 Bureau of Chemistry, rendered valuable advice, and the 

 small beginning soon grew to large dimensions. In 

 1892 there were six factories, turning out 13,000 tons 

 of sugar. In 1902 there were forty-one factories, with 

 a total sugar production of 218,406 tons. In the 

 season 1908-9, sixty-three factories produced 421,244 

 tons. In 1912-13, seventy-three factories produced 

 769,507 tons, expressed as raw sugar. The industry 

 enjoys, like its sister cane sugar industry in Louisiana, 

 the profitable privilege of entry to the home markets 

 duty free. At present the agricultural branch of the 

 industry is not a great success, their average weight of 

 roots to the acre being only 8 to 10 tons. The manu- 

 facturing department, no doubt, includes many up-tc- 

 date factories, and the results will probably improve 

 steadily year by year. Up to 1902-3, the extraction 

 of sugar from the roots had increased from 114 per cent, 

 to 12-8 per cent. In 1910-11 it was 14 per cent., and, 

 in 1913-14, 14-4 per cent. Why the farmers do their 

 part of the work so badly is not explained. In many 

 parts, no doubt, the climate is not so favourable as it 

 is in Europe. The industry is, however, very sanguine 

 with regard, to the future, and we can only wish them 

 every success in their brave determination to grow and 

 prosper. 



Canada is beginning to make her appearance in 

 statistics as a sugar-producing country on a small scale. 

 The history of her attempts to produce beetroot sugar 

 is instructive and a warning. It is very much the 



