SUGAR PRODUCTION IN IT. S. AND FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 37 



the preceding 10 years. The annual average production per ton of 

 beets during the decade 1893-94 to 1902-3 was 280 pounds, compared 

 with 306 pounds for the following decade. 



In addition to the factories producing sugar from beets, there were 

 six factories that produced sugar from molasses. The molasses re- 

 maining at the beet factories was sent to the molasses factory to be 

 further treated. This process resulted in the production of a large 

 quantity of sugar which materially assisted in increasing the value 

 of the factory products. The molasses remaining after this treatment 

 is further used for stock feed, fertilizer, and chemicals. The average 

 annual production of molasses by the sugar-beet factories during the 

 decade 1903-4 to 1912-13 was 335,546 tons. The raw sugar from the 

 beet factories is sent to the refineries for further treatment, after 

 which it is released for home consumption and export. The number 

 of refineries decreased from 48 in 1904-5 to 31 in 1912-13. 



The sugar production of Germany is far in excess of the nation's 

 requirements, but the surplus has decreased during the last 20 years 

 at the rate of 42,000 tons annually. During the decade ending with 

 1912 the exports amounted to 41.3 per cent of the sugar produced, or 

 an annual average of 920,262 tons. The exports for the preceding 

 decade were 1,161,620 tons, or 58.3 per cent of the production. The 

 imports for both decades were small, but decidedly greater in the last 

 decade than in the one preceding. The imports for the decade ending 

 with 1912 were 13,353 tons, compared with 1,614 tons during the 

 preceding decade. The consumption of sugar has more than doubled 

 during the last 20 years, and increased from 569,481 tons, or a per 

 capita consumption of 22.3 pounds in 1893-94 to 1,413,489 tons, 

 or a per capita consumption of 42.3 pounds, in 1912-13. The annual 

 average consumption during the decade 1903-4 to 1912-13 was 

 1,202,902 tons, or an average of 38 pounds per capita, compared with 

 707,506 tons, or 25.8 pounds per capita, for the preceding decade. 

 Expressed as a percentage of production the consumption during the 

 10 years ending with 1912-13 was 53.9 per cent, as compared with 

 35.5 for the preceding 10 years. The increase in consumption was 

 due partly to a reduction of the sugar tax, with a consequent lower- 

 ing of the retail price, and to the rapid growth of chocolate, cocoa, 

 and other sugar-consuming industries. 



AUSTRIA-HUNGARY. 



BEET SUGAR. 



The area devoted to the growing of sugar beets in Austria-Hun- 

 gary is located principally in the western and northwestern part of 

 the Empire. The total area under cultivation during the decade 



