146 AGRICULTURE 



a small proportion of what we require is produced here, 

 most of it being imported from the West Indies and other 

 tropical or semi-tropical regions. Practically all our home- 

 grown cane sugar is raised in the following states, which 

 are named in the order of the amount produced: Louis- 

 iana, Georgia, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, South 

 Carolina, California, North Carolina. Of these states, 

 Louisiana has produced more than twice as much as the 

 other eight states combined. 



Beet sugar region. The beet sugar region is far 

 more widely distributed than the cane sugar region. The 

 following are some of the leading beet sugar states : Colo- 

 rado, California, Michigan, Utah, Idaho, Wisconsin, Mon- 

 tana, Ohio, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska. This wide area 

 indicates that sugar beets will thrive in a great variety of 

 climates and soils. 



Sorghum sugar regions. Sorghum also thrives oyer 

 a wide range of territory, as will be seen from the dis- 

 tribution of the following leading sorghum producing 

 states : Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Texas, North 

 Carolina, Illinois, Oklahoma, Indiana, Alabama, Missis- 

 sippi, Louisiana and Ohio. 



Maple sugar region. The leading maple sugar states 

 are New York, Ohio and Vermont. Pennsylvania, Michi- 

 gan and Indiana also produce considerable quantities. 



2. Producing Cane Sugar 



The cane sugar plant, which grows much like corn, was 

 originally a tropical plant, but most varieties under culti- 

 vation will thrive best in a semi-tropical climate. Some 

 varieties will even succeed in temperate regions. Terri- 

 tories having a temperature of from 65 to 90 Fahrenheit 

 during midsummer are considered best. Under good condi- 

 tions the plants will grow from twelve to twenty feet high. 



