Agricultural Cuba 



14 



32,000 hectares — about 75,000 acres — to be 

 planted with beet roots — distributed over the 

 several provinces — and established four schools 

 in which sugar manufacture was to be taught. 

 Meanwhile he stifled what little competition 

 cane sugar might still be offering, by forbidding 

 all importation from the East and West Indies. 



In 1 812, the number of sugar schools was in- 

 creased and 100,000 hectares were planted — 

 247,100 acres — and 324 factories were in 

 operation. 



Germany and Austria were quick to see the 

 advantage and led out in the beet sugar industry. 



By 1830 the beet sugar industry had reached 

 a high point of production. 



The rapid development of the beet sugar 

 industry in Europe had an ill effect on the 

 production of cane sugar for obvious reasons. 

 It was only produced by the most primitive 

 methods and only in sufficient quantities to supply 

 the declining demand. 



It was not until the eighties that the cane sugar 

 planter began to realize the natural advantages of 

 cane sugars over those of beet. He lived in 

 tropical style, well up to his income and invested 

 the least possible money in improvements. 



In the early 'eighties capital, in moderate 

 amounts, began to be available for sugar planters 

 and the manufacture of cane sugar took on new 

 Hfe. 



By 1880 the beet sugar industry had climbed 

 up to a point of production approximately equal 

 to that of cane sugar. The following table 

 illustrates the world's production of sugar, both 

 beet and cane, up to and including 1914: 



