12 The Sugar-Beet in America 
to encourage the beet-sugar industry were so liberal and 
the price of sugar was so high that by 1812 forty factories 
were in operation. These factories handled 98,813 tons 
of beets produced on 16,758 acres and manufactured them 
into 3,300,000 pounds of sugar. This may be called the 
real beginning of the beet-sugar industry. 
From France the industry spread rapidly to the other 
countries of Europe, especially to Germany and Russia. 
In Germany, Achard established a school which was 
attended by students from all parts of Europe. These 
students carried back to their respective countries technical 
information which, encouraged by the success of the French 
manufacturers, led to the establishment of many factories. 
Decline of the industry. 
With the downfall of Napoleon in 1815 and the return 
of peace, the ports of Europe were thrown open to the 
cheap sugar from the colonies. As a result, the newly 
established industry was not able to hold its own. The 
quality of beets was still poor and the processes used in 
the manufacture of sugar were so imperfect that it was 
impossible to compete with cane-sugar produced by 
slave labor. Only one factory in Europe survived the 
reconstruction that followed the overthrow of Napoleon. 
This was the factory of M. Crespel at Arras, France. 
Revival of the industry. 
For some time in France the beet-sugar industry 
fluctuated according to the laws that were passed. In an 
effort to revive beet-sugar production during the period 
from 1822 to 1825, over one hundred new factories were 
