52 BULLETIN 473, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



beets per ton increased from $3.46 for the 10 years ending with 1903 

 to $4.26 for the decade 1904-1913. The sugar content of beets was 

 highest in 1908-9, 16.8 per cent of the weight of the beets, and lowest 

 in 1905-6, 15.5 per cent. The factories increased from 28 in 1904-5 

 to 31 in 1913-14. The beets used for sugar increased from 965,533 

 tons in 1904-5 to 2,228,851 tons in 1912-13. The raw sugar produced 

 increased from 150,974 tons in 1904-5 to 329,499 in 1912-13. The 

 quality of the beets grown in the Netherlands is equal to any grown 

 on the Continent. The sugar produced per ton of beets ranged 

 from 273 to 313 pounds for 1904-5 and 1913-14, respectively. The 

 production of sugar per acre ranged from 3,500 to more than 4,000 

 pounds. The production of sugar per factory in 1904-5 was 5,392 

 tons, which was doubled in 1912-13, amounting to 10,983 tons. The 

 beet pulp sold was valued at 87 cents per ton in 1904-5, and $1 per 

 ton in 1912-13. The sugar consumed has been about one-third of the 

 production. The average annual per capita consumption during the 

 five years 1902-1906 was 29.85 pounds, compared with 32.52 pounds 

 for the five years 1907-1911. For a number of years the Netherlands 

 has been a large exporter of sugar, and during the decade ending 

 with 1913 the average annual exports were 181,317 tons, or approxi- 

 mately three-fourths of the production. 



Compared with other crops in 1912, sugar beets exceeded the area 

 devoted to wheat and barley, but were exceeded in area by rye, oats, 

 and potatoes. The farm value of sugar beets produced that year was 

 $11,372,000, compared with $26,000,000 for potatoes, $22,000,000 for 

 rye, and $13,000,000 for oats. The average value per acre was sugar 

 beets $71, potatoes $61, wheat $57, barley $53, rye and oats each $40. 



SPAIN. 



BEET SUGAR. 



Spain is the only country in Europe that produces both beet and 

 cane sugar in commercial quantities. Its beet-sugar industry has 

 been developed within the last quarter of a century and in 1912 

 occupied 12 times the area devoted to cane and the production of 

 beet sugar was more than 10 times that of cane. The soil and climatic 

 conditions are better adapted to the growing of sugar beets and the 

 beets are grown in nearly all parts of the kingdom, while the grow- 

 ing of cane is confined to a restricted area. Sugar beets are grown 

 in 19 of the 30 Provinces, while cane is grown only in 3 Provinces.- 

 Most of the beets have, in recent years, been grown in the north-central 

 Provinces, yet the Province of Granada, in the extreme southern 

 part, that was second in production of beets and beet sugar in 

 1912-13, was also second in the production of cane and cane sugar. 

 This Province contained one-third (or 15) of the beet-sugar factories 



