Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-07-01
FIRST AMONG CANDY EATERS
U. S. Greatest Sugar Consuming
Country in World.
Industry So Old That II Antedates
Christisn Era by Many Centuries
No Record Of where Sugar
Cnne Originated.

Inc I mica SthteS is tne greatest COn-
Stunning country of the world. In 1918
It's total consumption amounted to 3,743,-
1879 tons-including cane, beet and maple.
This Is a percapita consumption Of &4
pounds per annum. Much of this is con-
sumed in the form Of candy. over 800
600 being spent for that sweet com
modify in the United States every year.
New York is the largest candy-consuming
center in the world, and to supply that
city alone it would take five trains of
80 cars, each loaded to the limit with
candy, every week in tho year If It had
to he shipped in on a railroad.
The world has had a sweet tooth"
for many ages. People have been eating
sugar from time immemorial II would
seem, and growing sugar zane is an in
dustry so old that it antedates the Chris
tan era by many centuries. At least
that is what We gather from an article
by Edward Albcs in the May number
of the Monthly Bulletin of the Pan
American Union, Washington. D. G..
which gives a comprehensive account Of
the cane sugar industry in the Americas.
and incidentally elnDodies an interesting
resume of what is actually known of
the history of the industry throughout
the world from the very dawn Of civili-
zation to the present.
Scientists admit they do not know
just where the sugar Cane originated. .
he writes. for nowhere has IL been found
In It's Wild state. II has been n cultivat-
ed product for many centuries, and the
first mention to be found in written rec
ords Is in the sacred books of the
Hindus. 4 have crowned thee with a
shooting sugar cane, SO that thou shalt
centuries before the Christian era. In
the train Of Alexander the Great during
his Asiatic conqnests were some obscr-
want persons who made notes Of what
they saw. when not too busy killing off
the inhabitants. and in these written
documents. according to later writer's
who fell heir to them. is told the story
Of reed growing in India which pro-
duces honey without bees. Thus sugar
cane was evidently we'll known in that
COUNTRY before 3a u. G.
AS To the manufactured product Of the
cane, the first kind of sugar OF which
mention Is made was a concentrates
cane Juice called CUR in India Cgud' ir
Sanskrit, and this seems to have beer
known as a food from prehistoric times
mat It's manufacture was a we'll estab.
llshed industry In India. in the seventh
century Is attested by the old Chinese en-
cvolopedia. the Pen-tsao-kang-mu, which
states that the Emperor T'aitsung. who
reiEned from 6T to $50 A. D.. sent some
or his peop'e to Behar to learn the ar,
Of sugar making. The manufacture 81
I sugar even In tho q rly coptttria, cf ,h<
Christian era was not restricted to the
mere evaporation # ~" Juice Of m.
cane TO ~dryness. for Arabs and Egypt
ians had soon learned how to purify ra "
sugar by recrystallization. and incidental
~ how to make a great variety of sweet
meats. or candy, out Of the product"
The author tells OF the Introduction o.
cane into sicily by the Arabs in 20
whence il was taken 70 Africa, to Spain
and all along the coast Of the Nediter
ranean sea. as well as 10 the island.
and borders Of the Indian ocean. TIL,
Crusaders found extensive sugar-can,
plantations i'm Tripoli. Nrsopotamia
Syria, Antioch, and Cyprus, and by tn,
18th century the cane was being c~ultivat
ed in every part OF the known worlc
where soil and climate We're propitious.
1t came to South America by being in
troduced into Brazil by the Portuguese
who brought it from Madeira. and theme,
It spread to nearly all the other coun
tries of that continent. Columbus is sale
to have brought it to the island Of SAINT
Domino. whence il spread to Mexico ant
Cuba. 1t was introduced into the othel
islands of the West Indies as soon a.
they came under European domination
The first sugar cane came to Louisiana
by being sent to the Jesuits from Santc
Domingo, in 1851, some English authori
ties giving the date as 1877.
Although practically all of the coun
tries of the Pan American Union cul
tivate I'll" cane, cuba is the creates
producer of cane sugar. not only in tn,
western hemisphere but in the world
The total production of the west
ern hemisphere for the l9ls-l4 sea
son amounted 10 4,9l9.Sl4 tons. Of which
Cuba produced 2,517. 732 tons. or nearl,
% per cent. The total cane-sugar pro
duction of the world was 9.773.9iS tons
and doductinr the 2.gt2, 6rp tons produce,
by India and locally consumed, It is see,
that tuha produces nearly 81 per cent. o
the cane sugar that is available in tn,
markets Of the world.