SUGAR PRODUCTION IK TJ. S. AND FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 51 



increased from 13.03 per cent in 1903-4 to 16.25 per cent in 1913-14. 

 with an average extraction for the period of 15.26 per cent. In 

 1912-13, 2,944 analyses of the sugar content of beets were made. In 

 these tests the percentage of sugar per weight of beets ranged from 

 12.6 per cent to 19.6, with an average of 16.9. The per cent of sugar 

 extraction for Belgium, while lower than that of Germany for the 

 last 10 years, was higher for a portion of the period and showed a 

 more gradual increase. The highest percentage of extraction for 

 Belgium was 16.25 per cent in 1913-14, compared with 16.77 per 

 cent for Germany in 1908-9. The production of sugar per ton of 

 bots increased from 261 pounds in 1903-4 to 325 pounds in 1913-14, 

 or an average of 300 pounds for the 11 years. The production of 

 sugar per acre increased from 3,144 pounds in 1903-4 to 3,851 pounds 

 in 1913-14, or an average of 3,796 pounds during the period. 



The consumption of sugar has increased during the last 11 years 

 from 77,164 tons in 1903-4 to 127,354 tons in 1913-14, or an average 

 of 102,308 tons, which was 38 per cent of the production for the same 

 period. The per capita consumption increased from 22.3 pounds to 

 33.3 pounds, or an annual average of 28.1 pounds for the 11 years. 

 The imports have been small, averaging only 8,552 tons for the 11 

 years ending with 1913, as compared with 166,215 tons for exports. 

 The greater part of the sugar produced has been exported, amounting 

 to nearly two-thirds of the production. The sirup produced by the 

 refineries averaged 3,051 tons and was valued at $44,352. 



NETHERLANDS. 



BEET SUGAR. 



The sugar-beet area of the Netherlands is located chiefly in the 

 southwestern part, near the Belgian border. Approximately one- 

 third of the area under beets was located in Zeeland and one-sixth 

 in each of the Provinces of South Holland and North Brabant. The 

 total area under cultivation increased from 1,505,000 acres in 1904 

 to 2,305,000 in 1913. Of this area slightly more than 5 per cent was 

 devoted to the growing of sugar beets. The area under beets in- 

 creased from 84,780 acres in 1904 to 160,180 acres in 1912, or an in- 

 crease in proportion to the total area under cultivation of 1 per cent. 

 The area of sugar beets for the decade ending with 1913 had an an- 

 nual average of 125,403 acres, compared with 101,567 for the preced- 

 ing decade, or an increase of nearly 24,000 acres. The average an- 

 nual production of beets for the latter decade was 1,743,659 tons, 

 compared with 1,403,546 for the preceding decade, or an increase 

 of 340,000 tons. The yield of beets per acre during the decade end- 

 ing with 1913 was lowest, 12.13 tons, in 1909, and highest, 16.06 tons, 

 in 1911, or an annual average for the decade of 13.89 tons, compared 

 with 13.58 for the preceding decade. The average annual value of 



