December, 1912.] 



461 



SOME SUGAR STATISTICS. 



Messrs. Willet and Gray's Statistical, under date of October 24, gives 

 some very interesting data and statistical compilations concerning the 

 prospective sugar crops of the world, says the Louisiana Planter and 

 Sugar Manufacturer. They indicate that the new cane and beet sugar 

 crops will exceed the crops of last year by more than 2,600,000 tons. They 

 estimate the coming beet sugar crop of Europe at 8,935,000 long tons and 

 that of the United States at 625,000 long tons, while they estimate the 

 total sugar crops of the world at 181-2 millions of tons being more than 

 21-2 millions greater than last year. 



It will be remembered that Germany alone fell nearly two million 

 tons short last year of its previous crop because of the great drought 

 in Europe and its injurious effect on the beet crop. But for that short 

 crop the crop of this year would be practically a repetition of the past, 

 so far as quantity is concerned. 



For several years the total cane sugar crops of the world have sur- 

 passed the total beet sugar crops. This was especially the case last year 

 because of the shortage in Europe, the result of the drought, whereas 

 this season they are expecting the beet sugar crops of the world to slightly 

 exceed the cane sugar product. In the total estimates as against the 

 Cuban crop of 1,896,000 long tons, now closing, they increase the quantity to 

 over 2,000,000 tons and estimate the crop that will begin coming off within 

 the next sixty days at 2,100,000 tons. A notable item is their estimate of 

 the Louisiana cane sugar crop, which resulted in 316.000 long tons last 

 year, this year because of the generally bad season and especially 

 because of the great overflows it is now placed down at 200,000 long tons. 

 Porto Rico, which reached 320,000 tons last year, is put down this season 

 for slightly less while the Hawaiian Islands about hold their own. The 

 Philippines rated at 160,000 long tons last year, are rated for the coming 

 crop at 200,000 tons. Java is placed at 1,300.000 long tons against 1,395,000 

 long tons, last year. Spain produces about 20,000 long tons of cane sugar 

 this production being comparatively constant from year to year. The 

 world promises to have a full sugar supply but the consumption of sugar 

 is increasing with such great rapidity that we believe it will all be 

 needed and that no special accumulation will result. 



SOY BEANS. 



Attempts have been made by the Harbin Chamber of Commerce to 

 ascertain the cost of production of soy beans in Manchuria, and it is 

 roughly estimated at 31s. per ton, the price of the beans delivered at the 

 nearest station on the Chinese Eastern Railway, in November 1911, being 

 £4 (approx.) per ton. (Indian Trade Journal, 1912, 25, 141). Experiments 

 made with this crop during recent years in Argentina have been so success- 

 ful that it is the intention of planters to grow the crop on a commercial 

 scale in prefernce to linseed as a restorative crop in rotation with wheat 

 (India Trade Journal, 1912, 25, 48). 



