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



decade being 12.56 per cent. The percentage of sugar extraction per 

 weight of cane varied from 9.8 per cent in 1903-4 to 10.2 in 1912-13, 

 an average of 9.9 for the decade, a loss of approximately 3 per cent, 

 part of which was in the molasses. The sugar extraction per ton of 

 cane decreased from 215 pounds in 1903-4 to 191 in 1904-5, increased 

 to 236 in 1909-10, decreased to 224 in 1912-13, and averaged 219 for 

 the decade. The production of sugar per acre was 1,849 pounds in 

 1903-4, 1,406 in 1907-8, 3,305 in 1912-13, and averaged 2,203 for the 

 decade. The exports of sugar during the last 10 years show a de- 

 crease, while the imports show an increase. The exports were 25,310 

 tons in 1904, 4,329 in 1908, 5,658 in 1913, and an average for the 10 

 years of 11,387 tons. The imports were 22,922 tons in 1904. 58,703 

 in 1908, 36,305 in 1913, and an average of 40,576 for the decade. The 

 domestic production of sugar has not been quite equal to the home 

 requirements, as the annual imports during the last 10 years were 

 nearly 30,000 tons in excess of the exports. The exports for the 

 decade 1904-1913 were 20.1 per cent of the production, as against 71.8 

 per cent for imports. The consumption of sugar increased from 

 68,784 tons in 1904 to 113,782 in 1913, an average of 85,703 for the 

 decade, or an average per capita consumption of 15 pounds. The 

 consumption of sugar for the decade was 51.6 per cent in excess of 

 the production. The planting season for sugar cane is from Feb- 

 ruary to May, and the harvest season is from October to December, 

 the average length of the sugar-making season being usually less than 

 100 days. 



NATAL. 



CANE SUGAR. 



The area used for the growing of sugar cane in Natal is in the low- 

 lands along the coast and increased from 13,345 acres in 1893-94 to 

 33,282 in 1903-4 and to 64,938 in 1911-12. The production of sugar 

 increased from 17,699 tons in 1893-94 to 41,062 in 1901-2, to 86,790 

 in 1909-10, and to 96,880 in 1913-14. 



In 1909-10 the total area under cultivation was 451,638 acres, of 

 which 46,567 acres, or 10.3 per cent, was in sugar cane. The area of 

 cane cut for sugar that year was 24,512 acres, or 52.6 per cent of the 

 area under cane. The yield of sugar per acre was 2.9 tons. There 

 were 42 sugar factories in operation, of which 39 were operated by 

 steam power, one by oil engine, and 2 by water power. The greater 

 portion of the sugar produced in Natal is consumed locally. The 

 exports were small and decreased from about 35 per cent of the 

 production in 1899 to 2 per cent in 1913. 



