The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1899-06-29
ALL ABOUT SUGAR.

A review of Germany's beet sugar in
dustry from 1878 to 1878, a period Of
twenty years, has been recently sent to
the State Department by Consul Diede-
rich of Magdeburg. A look through
these tables is very interesting and
shows the wonderful growth of the in
dustry. The tables are arranged in
three sets, % those dealing with work
done i'm the sugar beet fields; (2) those
dealing with work in the factories; and
(9 those dealing with the marketing
and consumption of the product.
Under beet farming it is seen that in
1877 the area under beet cultivation was
25S,SO9 acres, and that there has been a
steady yearly increase till in 1897, there
were 1,O79,S10 acres under cultivation
The yield per acre, however, varies, ac-
cording as the seasons are good or bad.
In 1877 the beets harvested per acre
was a very bad season, the results Of
which are now affecting the sugar mar
ket and helping to put money into the
Hawaiian sugar planters pockets, the
yield was only S.619 tons per acre. The
highest yield per acre was obtained in
1885, when 1892 tons per acre were pro-
duced. This was also the year in which
the highest value of beets per acre was
realized, viz 1893 10. The lowest value of
beets per acre was in 1886, when only
$43 "a was realized In 1897, $50 AZ was
obtained. The average price of beets
per tons has of course fluctuated. The
highest price per ton was obtained in
1882, and was IS 40 per ton of beets. The
lowest price was in 1885, when the crude
product only commanded SO 80 per ton.
In 1897 it was 81 per ton. This is what
the farmer realizes. The wages he pays,
as was shown in an article published
two days ago don't exceed Sill a year,
and run down to 500 year. 'ftai
Turning to the manufacture for the
same period the number of factories
operated in 1877 was 329, in 1897 it was
400. In 1877, 4,O9O,9 6S tons of beets were
worked, in 1897, there were 1857, 1892
tons worked up. In 1877, the raw sugar
produced amounted to 378,009 tons,
while twenty years later the amount
was 1,755, 229 tons. There has, during
the period under review, been a wonder
full improvement in the process of ex-
tracing sugar, and the example given
by the beet sugar men in Germany, has
been followed by the cane sugar men
of Hawaii. We get far more sugar
from our cane than we got twenty years
ago. In 1877 in Germany a ton of beets
produced 203.7 pounds of sugar. In 1897,
a ton produced 2S1.97 pounds. So on the
other hand while in 1877 it took 1882
tons of beets to make ton of sugar, in
1897 it only required rs tons to make
/ the same amount
Now looking at the mercantile as
pect. The total export in 1877 was H.
POI tons, while in 1897 it was 1,033, 262
tons. OF this 142,9O7 tons went to the
| United States and 1868 tons went to
Great Britain. The total consumption
of sugar in Germany in 1877 was 290, ia
tons or 14.I7 pounds per capita. In 1897
the country used up 1903, S97 tons or 2S. 814
pounds per capita, showing a great in
crease in domestic consumption. The
bounty paid in 1897 amounted to So, 724,-
! $40.
Germany, from these figures, it is evil
dent depends upon an outside market
for the sale of two thirds of it's su-
gar production. For the last
five years the bulk of the SUR
plus has gone to the United States and
to England. If the United States beet
sugar factories increase rapidly, they
will seriously affect German trade, and
consequently German labor conditions.
We ought to have on these Islands, as
carefully computed and arranged tables
of our product, as these which Consul
Diederich has furnished. Such tables
are of infinite value in estimating the
commercial and economic aspect of q
country. We ought to be able to COM
pare our plantation statistics for the
last twenty years, but unfortunately
accurate data are wanting.