12 The Sugar-Beet in America 



to encourage the beet-sugar industry were so liberal and 

 the price of sugar was so high that by 1812 forty factories 

 were in operation. These factories handled 98,813 tons 

 of beets produced on 16,758 acres and manufactured them 

 into 3,300,000 pounds of sugar. This may be called the 

 real beginning of the beet-sugar industry. 



From France the industry spread rapidly to the other 

 countries of Europe, especially to Germany and Russia. 

 In Germany, Achard established a school which was 

 attended by students from all parts of Europe. These 

 students carried back to their respective countries technical 

 information which, encouraged by the success of the French 

 manufacturers, led to the establishment of many factories. 



Decline of the industry. 



With the downfall of Napoleon in 1815 and the return 

 of peace, the ports of Europe were thrown open to the 

 cheap sugar from the colonies. As a result, the newly 

 established industry was not able to hold its own. The 

 quality of beets was still poor and the processes used in 

 the manufacture of sugar were so imperfect that it was 

 impossible to compete with cane-sugar produced by 

 slave labor. Only one factory in Europe survived the 

 reconstruction that followed the overthrow of Napoleon. 

 This was the factory of M. Crespel at Arras, France. 



Revival of the industry. 



For some time in France the beet-sugar industry 

 fluctuated according to the laws that were passed. In an 

 effort to revive beet-sugar production during the period 

 from 1822 to 1825, over one hundred new factories were 



