, 1889-05-01

raised by him from the purple variety. We
are taking steps to ascertain whether
plants can he raised from them in this
country under suitable conditions of tenn.
perature, &c. We hope Mr.. Drumm will
be successful in raising new and improved
va letleS of cane. The subject il one of
great Importance we are glad that it is
receiving attention The following letter
Is from The Barbados Reporter of April
10Th 1871 "To the Editor.-Dear Sir.
We learn from The Sugar Cane, for April,
something further us to sugar cane seed.
showing us that the suggestion of Mr..
william Drnmm as TO the reproduction,
crossing, and improving of the sugar cane
10y growing it from seed, has been followed
up with good promises of success in New
Caledonia, and also established in the island
OF Reunion, ante, p. 2O3 and POS. Here, in
Barbados. as it is chiefly the TRANSPARENT
or purple cane which arrows and seeds,
We DO not care much for that variety.
being fully satisfied that it's seeds are
procuTable and fertile, as natural grown
plants, and perfect seeds have been shown
at our annual exhibitions. We wonld
advise all who desire to procure sugar cane
seeds to follow Mr.. Drumm's ad Twice,
and cover the arrow or flower of the cane
with a fine muslin bag, az it opens, and
keep 1t covered and tight on the stem I'LL
the whole is fully ripe, and then to pick
ont the few perfect seeds from the multi.
tude with II magnifying glass of good
power. The sugar cane seed shown for
the last few years ut our exhibitions, ard
now to he seen at No. l Broad Street,
cannOt be seen distinctly witb the best
Of good eyes, but with a magnifying glass
they show themselves perfect seeds, very
muCh like miDiatura onto W. orn "a
vlSed that we can have some cane seed
plants to show at our next exhibition, and
we have as good a right to hope and tx.
ppct success with the sugar cane. MS the
toreSterS of America had when they cross.
ell the Wild fox grapes of the p~rairieS with
the cultivated kinds and procured the
prolific wine and luscious table grapes Of
that continent. 1t is a fact, that We want
neW and better varieties Of the sugar
cane.-ReSpectfully yours, Drnmm & Co."
In the first volume of the Sugar Cane,
p. 1852, Oct. l, 1869 is pabliShed Mr.. VIM.
Drumm's original letter on the subject,
from which | quote only the part that in
most to the point All the sugar books
say that the plant will not nOW seed, or
VIII only give imperfect seed, and such
a seed is quite unknown. True; but it
need not be so, for any sugar.cane planter
VINO VIII alloy Il Sugar-cane plant to fully
ripen aud arrow, and on it's arr0wing or
Towering will then envelope the flow, / OF
arrow in a muslin bag until it is fully
ripe, and then search it, will find The seed in
abundance. "*% The seed has been planted
and grown previously by IA Mr.. Clarke in this
island, bur his story was d%iScrpdited. An
accidental discovery of natural grown seed
plants is also on record here, having been
shown and published at our Agricultural
Society'S Exhibition, and is beyond any
doubt as they produced vigorous trans.
parent canes"
To a curious article, p. 500, vol. g.. of
The Sugar Cane, (NOv. 1st., 1871, by
DR.. AuguSte VinSon, in which face and
nonsense are most pretentiOn sly blended
and confused, the following editorial note
is appended So Seeds of the sugar cane
have been obtained and sent over to Eng.
land by Mr.. Drumm of Barbados. They
have been distributed to various lighthouses
i'll different parts of the country, some
having been forwarded to Kew gardens.
As yet, however, it is not known whether
they are growing" There must be some
record at Kew of this transaction.-EDl.
But Mr.. Drumm is not the only ~autlleri-
ty in regard to seedlings having been
raised in Barbados years ago. At differ.
ent times SeedlingS,-apart from those
found growing spontaneously were raised
by different planters Of that island, SOU
a. CpI.n. ~~nrV Al@ -