, 1889-05-01

hitherto demonstrated the fact. PrOba.
bly, under the favourable conditions that
seem to prevail in Barbados 10 realise
this PEd, M. Bowel. by his intelligent
interp0sitiOn and observation, will be able
10 say In a year or two whether the func.
ton Of seed bearing is confined to the
cOlOured canes, or is shared in, to any
extent, by the generally superior vel.
low and white varieties, as to which we
have no information at present. Yet,
though the seed bearers appear to have
been limited, there must nave been "a large
amount of cross. breeding. many varieties
having contributed TO the fertiliSatiOn of
the few. The inter position of numerous
kinds as males, is evidenced by the great
variety of character manifested in the seed.
lingS, now grown TO maturity, which were
first found on the ground, rs described in
the communications from Professor Har.
risen, republiShed in these columns II few
weeks ago. But even among the COloured
canes that seed, it seems that not many
ovules are fertilized, very few actual seeds
being produced, or, that, at least. terminate
from the many hundreds of flowers borne
in a pauicle. To the minutrneSS of the seed,
which is so small as not to be distinctly
seen without the aid of lens or simple mi
croscopp, must be attributed chiefly the
doubt that has so long prevailed as to its
existence. Hence, too, the very delicate
character of the young plants, which but
for this delicatenrsS would no doubt SUR
vive in such numbers in the cane fields as
TO have never allowed the fact ever to have
been dOnhtpd. AS TO what will be the
economic and commercial bearing Of the
matter, now that it has been again,
and forever, demonstrated, on the
cane sugar industry of the world, there cane
he little donbt. From what we know Of
the great Improvement that has
taken place in other cultivated plants
through selection in seminal genera.
ton. the discovery can hardly prove
other than important and beneficial. An
improved variety on the bpSt We now have
may mol he Obtained, possibly, for several
years, but We may be confident that if the
better kinds do, or can be- induced to, breed,
with systematic attempts. carefully con-
Quoted TO c Intrnl the op ration, aud care.
fIl trial aud selection of The progeny, i'm.
proved folmS will in time result. Turning
now to what may venture, not altogether
lnappIOPriately to call the literature of
the subject, which, az | have said proves
now that attention has been universally iii.
rrCted to the subject, not so Scant or 0b
8 'ute as was SclrfaIlN supposed WnelI the
discussion was raised a few months ago, [
nm indebt,d to Mr.. Francis, the Cove II.
ment Analyst. for The following, among other
references to it in The pages of The
Sugar Cane. | regret that cOnsidern.
tionS Of space do not permit of my
giving more CopiOus extracts, to afford
a more adequate idea OF the many highly
interesting papers and notes, for and
against, That have been published on
the subject; and | must too %cOnfine
myself only to those papers aud notes
which aft IN. or tend to affirm, the fact
within the past ~ years, The first tx.
tract (Ihe Sugar Cane, vol. III. p. 2O3)
is from a report Of Mr.. j. Caldwell,
member Of the Chamber of Agriculture,
Mauritius, in 1870 or III, on sugar cul.
tivation in New Caledonia. He says;
cat has been hoped by many persons
that we might ZONE across the cane seed
in New Caledonia. where the plant was
asserted to he Indigenous, and that hence
might be propagated many useful varie.
ties. . " But of finding this fertile seed
in New Caledonia | have no hope what.
ever. . y & | met indeed at Noumea
with NJ. BeIancon, a French Botanist,
collecting for the Cabinet d'Histoire na.
turelle of Paris, who is considered an
authority on grasses, but who had not
paid any particular attention to the cane
flower before l brought it to his notice.
He showed me what he considered seed,
but as he could not get it to terminate,