Beet Sugar in United States. 213 



touched 87s. since 1886. The number of sheep has slightly 

 increased since last year, when it was lower than at any time 

 in the previous eighteen years. The number given for 1898 

 is 37,656,960 at an average price of los. 3d., as compared with 

 7s. yd. on the same date in the previous year. The number 

 of swine, which has been steadily decreasing during the 

 past five years, shows a further decline to 39>759,993. The 

 following table shows the number and average value of the 

 farm animals, except horses and mules, in the United States 

 at intervals durmg the past twenty years : — 



Year. 



Milch cows. 



Cattle, other 

 than milch cows. 



Sheep. 



Swine. 





















Number. 



Price 

 per 

 head. 



Number. 



Price. 



Number. 



Price. 



Number. 



Price. 



00 00 00 00 00 00 

 00^ uo oooj 0 



11,826,400 

 13,125,685 

 14,856,414 

 16,424,087 

 15,941,727 

 15,840,886 



s. d. 



90 6 

 125 10 

 102 8 

 90 7 

 96 6 

 114 4 



21,408,100 

 28,046,077 



34,378,363 

 35,954,196 

 30,508,408 

 29,264,197 



s. d. 

 64 I 

 90 10 



74 I 

 63 6 

 69 4 

 87 2 



38,123,800 

 49,237,291 

 43>544,755 

 47,273,553 

 36,818,643 

 37,656,960 



s. d. 



8 7 



10 6 

 8 6 



11 I 



7 7 

 10 3 



34,766,100 

 43,270,086 



44,346,525 

 46,094,807 

 40,600,276 

 39,759,993 



J. d. 



13 3 

 28 I 

 20 9 

 26 8 



17 0 



18 3 



Beet Sugar Industry in the United States. 



Numerous experiments in the cultivation of sugar beet 

 have for some time past been undertaken in the United 

 States with a view to ascertaining how far the sugar imported 

 from abroad can be produced within the country. The 

 United States Department of Agriculture has lately published 

 the reports of its special agent, Mr. Charles F. Saylor, who 

 was charged with the investigation of the industry in 1897. 



From this report it appears that the imports of sugar now 

 amount in value to over ;£20,ooo,ooo annually, and Mr. 

 Saylor expects that the United States will before long be 

 able not only to manufacture the whole of this quantity from 

 its own beets, but also to offer its sugar to other countries at 

 a profit. The sugar beet industry has only existed for about 

 eight years in the few factories as yet established in the 



