CHAPTER XX 

 THE SUGAR CROP 



309. Importance of the crop. The world's production of sugar 

 has doubled in the last decade. In this time the per capita pro- 

 duction of bread has remained about stationary and the pro- 

 duction of meat has declined. The use 

 of sugar as a food is increasing in almost 

 every part of the world. The average 

 amount per year consumed by each 

 person in England is estimated to be 

 about 85 pounds and for the United 

 States about 65 pounds. In Italy, Greece, 

 and Turkey the yearly consumption of 

 sugar is only about 7 pounds per person. 

 The four important sources of sugar 

 production in the United States are the 

 sugar beet, the sugar cane, the sugar 

 maple, and the honey bee. 



310. The sugar beet. Nearly one half 

 of the sugar supply of the world is ob- 

 tained from beets (Fig. 112). The yearly 



FIG. 112. The sugar beet. 



(Drawing from California 



Agricultural College) 



production of beet sugar is approximately nine million tons, and 

 has doubled within the past two decades. In the United States 

 the production of beet sugar has increased more than threefold in 

 the last ten years. The greatest acreage of sugar beets is found 

 in Germany, Russia, and Austria- Hungary. These countries 



236 



