St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1911-01-21
PEOPLE CONSUME HALF
THEIR own Weight
in SUGAR

Inc people OF the United States
consume half their own weight
in sugar every year. This may
seem a startling statement, but
if we take the quantity of sugar
produced in the United States
and add to this the quantity
brought in from our own islands
and the quantity imported from
foreign countries, and subtract
therefrom the amount exported,
we get a grand total of consider
ably more than Z billion pounds
consumed in the country; and by
divididg the population into this
grand total, we get an average
of 81 IL pounds per capita,
speaking in round terms, for
1910, and about a like quantity
for 1909. It is not assumed, of
course, that each person neces-
sarily consumes sugar equal to
one-half his individual weight;
but taking the total consumption
and comparing it with the total
population in the section known
as continental United States, the
average yearly consumption of
sugar is found to be about 81 1-2
pounds per capita.
In fact, the people of the
United are larger consumers of
sugar per capita than those of
any other country Of the world
except England, for which the
latest figures show a consumption
averaging Sc pounds per capita,
against our own average of 81 1-2I
pounds per capita. The next
largest per capita consumption
is in Denmark, II Sd pounds;
followed by Switzerland, "a
pounds; Sweden, 81 pounds; and
Germany and Holland, each about
43 IL pounds.
Not only is the United States
States the second largest sugar
consumer per capita, but the to-
tai amount consumed annually is
much greater than that of any OF
her country, aggregating as above
indicated, more than Z billion
pounds per annum, against about
4 billion pounds in England and
about 3 billion pounds in Ger
many.
About one-half of the sugar
consumed in the United States is
from foreign countries,
about one fourth from our own
islands, and the remaining one
fourth produced in this country.
The total production Of sugar in
the United States now amounts
to l "a billion pounds a year, of
which more than | billion pounds
is beet sugar and about three
quarters of a billion cane sugar.
In 1900 domestic production of
cane sugar was twice as great as
that of beet sugar, and 20 years
ago was more than so times as
great; but the growth of beet
production has been very
in recent years, and in 1907,
'or the first time, exceeded in
quantity that produced from cane T,
md has so continued since that
lime. :
Of the sugar brought from
,ther countries, nearly all is :
made from cane. While about /.
lalf of the worlds sugar is made :
rom beets, most of it is produc-
ID in Europe and consumed in !
he country of production or in ;
'ther parts of that grand division, ;
While most of the world outside :
f Europe obtains its sugar sup /,
,ly from cane, grown of course, {
n the tropical and sub-tropical :
ections. Of the cane sugar
we consume, most of that ;
oming from foreign countries is ,
from Cuba, the Dutch :
East Indies, and smaller amounts :
rom the West hides, Mexico, :
and South America. All :
f that coming from our own ;
stands -Porto Rico, Hawaii, and
he Phillipines-in cane sugar,
While of the domestic product
bout 40 per cent is produced :
rom cane. The beet sugar of !
he United States is grown chief :
7 in Colorado, California and
and some in Utah, 8