SUPPLEMENT. 17 



Europe. Having witnessed personally the working of the 

 sugarcane upon the island of Cuba, and in Louisiana, and 

 being also somewhat acquainted with the beet-sugar industry 

 of Europe, and the treatment of sugar solutions for refining 

 purposes, I do not hesitate to state, that the sugar-beet as a 

 mere sugar producing plant is inferior to sugar-cane ; in fact, 

 if it were possible to cultivate advantageously tiie best sugar- 

 beet alongside of the sugar-cane, bestowing at the same time 

 equal care on the cultivation of both plants, and on the treat- 

 ment of their juices, they could be scarcely considered rivals. 

 Yet, to-day, the beet-sugar manufacture is looked upon in 

 Europe by agriculturists and by sugar manufacturers as a de- 

 cided success.* England, even with her great facilities for 

 importation, and her favorable commercial relations with cane- 

 sugar producing countries, is hastening of late to add the 

 beet-sugar manufacture to its home industry. English agricul- 

 turists have had for years occasion to notice the highly prosper- 

 ous condition of the farms in beet-sugar producing districts of 

 Germany, France, and elsewhere ; while English capitalists 

 begin to believe in the sound foundation of the new business, 

 when they notice the steady increase of beet-sugar importation 

 into England, amounting in the year 1867 to a value of X 1,600- 

 000. 



However different the views of the friends of the beet-sugar 

 interest may have been at various times regarding its financial 

 success as a mere industrial enterprise for a cheaper home 

 manufacture of sugar, they all agree at the present day on one 

 point, namely, that in connection with agriculture it has proved 

 to be one of the most important, and at the same time, most 

 successful attempts to stimulate the introduction of sound prin- 

 ciples into agricultural pursuits, to develop, consequently, 

 agriculture, and to promote a healthy feeling of a common 

 interest between agriculture and manufactures, between capi- 



* The beet-sugar manufacture in Europe amounted in 1859 to 812,113,000 pounds ; in 

 1869 to 1,256,462,300 pounds, ofwliich was produced— 



By France, 32 per cent. 



German Confederation, 28.5 per cent. 



Austria, 11.8 percent. 



Kussia, 14.83 per cent. 



Belgium, 5.92 per cent. 



Poland, 2 81 per cent. 



Holland, O.B'J per cent. 



B 



