The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-02-09
U. s. USES MORE
 SUGAR THAN EVER
 INITS HISTORY
Increase In Consumption Is Greater Than Increase
 In Population.

Washington, D. C., Feb. 9 - The people of the United States are appa- rently using more sugar than ever before, for the increase in consump ton has been greater than the in- / crease in population. According to figures in Bulletin 473, recently pre- pared by the Bureau of Crop Esti- mates of the U. s. Department of Ag riculture, the, total consumption of suZ gar in this country for the decade end ing with the fiscal year 1912-13 was 42.9 per cent. greater than the con- sumption for the preceding decade, while the population for the sAme pe- riod only shows an increase of 21 per cent
 The country is not only using more sugar, but it is producing 9 larger portion of it's total supply. During the decade ending with 1912-13 as compared with the decade ending with 1902-03, the percentage of the total supply produced at home increased 36,6 per cent; and the supply from non-contiguous possessions 64.4 per cent; while, on the other hand, the percentage imported from foreign countries decreased 20.9 per cent.
 The total world production of both beet and cane sugar has nearly dou- bled during the last 20 years, and in creased from 11,0O0,000 tons during the sugar year 1893-94 to 20,00o.00o tons in 1912-13. The annual world output of sugar during the decade ending with 1912-13 averaged 16.- 41s,000 tons as compared with Il. 498,- 900 for the preceding decade, an in crease of 37 per cent. The proluc- tion of beet sugar for these two pe- riods increased from 5,S39,000 to >7,- 853.OO0 tons, an increase of 34 per cent, as compared with an increase in cane-sugar production from 6,110,- coo to S,566,00O tons, an increase of 20 Ter cent.
 Statistics of practically all of the beet-growing countries give the to- tah world area used for beets in ex. cess of 6,000,000 acres or an average of about one ton of sugar per acre of beets. As the average production. of sugar per acre of cane is slightly high CT than for beets it may be assumed that another 6,000,000 acres of cane are harvested for sugar. Thus a to- tai of 12.00O, 900 acres are annually harvested to produce the worlds sup ply of sugar. Tn many of the canel growing countries, the area of cane annually used for sugar is only a part, 1 sometimes about one-half, of the area under cane. The area of cane grow ing nj all countries in normal season, but not harvested, might equal 3,000,- GOO acres; thus the total world area of cane and beets may approximate 15,0OO,O00 acres.
 In Cuba the sugar factories have been improved by rhe use of modern equipment. with the result that al- though the number of factories slight ly decreased, the output Of sugar du- ring the last ten years has been more than doubled. During the last 20 years about 95 per cent. of the sugar produced in Cuba was exported, of which about 90 per cent. went to the United States.
 In Mexico the lowlands along the coast are we'll adapted to the growing of cane, and as many as ten crops may be harvested from one planting. The primitive methods used in sugar man. ufacture and political disturbances re- tard the proper development of the industry. However despite the un- favorable conditions the production of sugar during the five years 1903-04 to 19O7-08 increased 29.4 per cent. as compared with the preceding five years, and the output of sugar during the five years 1908-09 to 1912-13 in- l creased 33.S per cent. over the pre- ceding five years.
 In nearly all of the beet-growing countries of Europe the sugar facto- ries have decreased in number, but by the use of improved methods the out put of sugar has increased. In many of the European beet-sugar factories ] only raw sugar is produced, while the same class of factory in the United States generally produces only refined sugar.