191 1.] Sugar Beet Industry on the Continent. 921 



Hesse (Germany). — Another interesting report by the 

 manager of a sugar beet factory in Hesse is transmitted by 

 H.M. Charge d' Affaires at Darmstadt. The sugar beet 

 crop in Hesse this year was both large and rich in sugar, 

 owing to the sunny October. All along the Rhine from 

 Mainz to Worms the Dutch sugar factories have been buying 

 sugar beet direct from the farmers, and have outbid the local 

 factories by about 4s. a ton ; high prices are also expected 

 next season owing to this competition. The beet is trans- 

 ported by water, on the Rhine, to Holland, 



The average content of sugar in the beet this year in Ger- 

 many is 1676 per cent. The amount of sugar is said to 

 depend chiefly on the quality of the seed supplied to the 

 growers by the factory ; secondly, on the average summer 

 temperature, and the amount of sun ; and, thirdly only, on 

 the manuring and cultivation of the beet in the fields. 



In the Gross-Umstadt factory, which is worked partly on 

 the co-operative system, the co-operative members receive 

 igs. 4a 1 . a ton and 40 per cent, of the weight of the beet in 

 fresh beet clippings, free for fodder, regardless of the amount 

 of sugar. After making up the balance-sheet, an additional 

 payment will probably be made based on the amount of 

 sugar above 14 per cent., so that the farmers will receive 

 about £1 2s. a ton for beet containing 1676 per cent, of 

 sugar. The farmer's receipts work out at about £i/[ 95. per 

 acre, in addition to the value of the beet clippings and the 

 green tops for fodder. 



Farmers who are not co-operative members receive about 

 £1 is. qd. per ton of pure beet regardless of sugar content, 

 but do not get free clippings. 



The highest yield in Gross-Umstadt was about 18 tons 

 per acre, and the lowest a little under 10 tons. 



According to official statistics of the Hessian Government 

 for November, 19 10, the four sugar factories in the province^ 

 during the year ended August 31st last, dealt with 190,000 

 tons of beetroot grown on 14,700 acres. The produce per 

 acre was thus nearly 13 tons. The average price of the beet- 

 root bought was igs. lod. a ton. In all, 23,000 tons of raw 

 sugar were produced — that is, about 12 per cent, of the 

 weight of beetroot. In other words, about 8J tons of beet- 

 root were required to produce one ton of raw sugar. 



