It was
Napoleon, that Frenchman of wonderful brain, who first discovered
the value of beets for making sugar, and thought out the plan for
raising them in rotation with other varieties of crops. He commanded
that ninety thousand acres of beets be planted in different parts of
France, and he established in connection with this decree a great
fund of money from which bonuses were to be paid to persons who
built factories to manufacture beet-sugar. He went even further,
furnishing free instruction to all who wished to learn the industry.
In consequence at the end of a couple of years there were in France
over three hundred small sugar factories; little by little this
number has increased until now the sugar product of the French
nation is enormous."
Fascinated by the story Bob and Van listened attentively.
"Didn't other countries steal the idea of the rotating crop?"
inquired Van.
"Not at first. Germany tried to make her farmers believe in the new
notion, but failed," answered Mr. Powers. "Later, however, as an
inducement, the German government helped beet-sugar factories pay
such good prices for beets that the farmers became anxious to raise
them; at the same time a high duty was placed on imported sugar, and
the result was that the German people were forced to manufacture
their own. At the present time about one-half of the sugar used by
all the world is made in foreign factories. I myself run my beet
farm on the rotation principle, and find that the hoed root crops
seem to stimulate the others; but I can't convince my neighbors of
it.
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