20 W. G. Freeman. 
investigations were carried out in 'France to find substitutes for 
British colonial produce, and incidentally the French wine trade 
suffered. As an instance of the efforts made to produce sugar 
locally it may be noted that the manufacture of this article from 
grapes was encouraged by money grants. Further research was 
made in beet sugar production and in 1811 the Emperor decreed 
that some 79,000 acres should be placed under sugar beet cultivation 
in the Empire. So long as Napoleon was able to encourage the 
industry all went well, but with his fall it fell also, one factory only 
surviving. Yet the practicability of sugar production in Europe 
had been demonstrated, factories soon sprang up again, and in 1829 
the crop was returned as 4,000 tons of sugar. The German industry 
collapsed also with Napoleon’s fall and did not revive until about 
1835. Its modern development in Europe is dealt with later. 
In the United States attention was first turned to the sugar 
beet in 1830, when some experiments were made without however 
leading to any permanent result. A second, entirely fresh beginning 
was made in 1863, and this has resulted in the present, comparatively 
small, but increasing beet sugar industry of that country. 
In many other countries of the temperate regions, including 
Great Britain and Ireland, efforts have been, and are being, made 
to cultivate the plant for sugar production. In no case however as 
yet have they lead to any permanent commercial results. 
Improvement of the Sugar Beet. 
As in the case of the sugar-cane increase in sugar contents, 
combined with a high ratio of “ purity ” is one of the principal 
objects to be attained in “ improving ” the plant from the point of 
view of the sugar producer. The great practical difficulties to be 
surmounted in improving the sugar-cane have already been dwelt 
upon (Vol. V. pp. 86-7). They are partly due to the large size 
of the plant, the long periods which must elapse between obtaining 
seed and a crop on a commercial scale, the expense, and many other 
factors, e.g. that the full value of the megass or crushed cane, to 
mention only one, are of the highest importance under the conditions 
of sugar cane cultivation and may even cause the rejection by the 
planter of a variety of cane exceptionally rich in sugar. 
The beet offers a much simpler problem. The plants are 
small, occupy but little room, and are consequently easier to work 
with and much less costly. The waste material does not play so 
important a part because in temperate climates fuel is usually 
cheaper and more abundant than in the tropics. 
