, 1890-11-29

generation q plant twice or thrice the size OF
the parent plant, We are justified in expecting
that by selecting this larger plant and breed
ing from it again we shall get still further
improvement, to be repeated again and again
in succeeding generations. This, we may
note, is one of the points already achieved.
By recording the name of the variety from
which each lot Of seed was gathered, when it
was sown last year at the Botanic Gardens,
this possibility of improvement has been es-
tablished with certainty, SO far as the evidence
afforded by a few varieties in a single genera
ton can be taken as Q guide, and we know Of
no reason against it's acceptance. We hSe
mentioned the occasional Improvement observe
ed in size in the seedlings IF these carefully
recorded parent varieties but the variation
in colour and form and other external
characters is more general and conspicuous
than that i'll size. In the majority of instances
there is an evident approximation in physical
and morphological features to the character
istics Of the parent, but the departure from
this typical state covers the entire range of
variation possible, from the least to the widest
extreme. Of this wide range too many in
stances have occurred to leave any room for
doubt on the ground of possible error of record
as to parentage that might arise from mistakes
made in gathering and sowing the seed, or in
the subsequent course of growth. In many
INSTANCES the variation is slight, but in several
cases purely white or purely green canes have
been produced by dark purple ones. We have
said that in the majority of the seedlings there
is a geteral approximation to parental likeness,
but, absolute likeness does not bear a very
great proportion to the whole variation. The
degree of approximation varies however in the
different kinds, the smaller inferior canes
producing a larger number like the parents
than the larger and superior ones. Of one
Of the larger kinds of which many plants
were raised, not one appears to have come
absolutely true. This variety, called Mana, is
a long-iointed claret- coloured cane, andthe wild
asst departul e it has made in its varied coloured'
progeny is to a short-jointed white cane. If
this instance stood alone, as we have before
intimated, it might be thought that a stray
seed oof some other kind had got into the
stock, but, as we have also before intimated,
the several instances Of the kind that have
OF urred are too many f. require or to Justify
resort to any such explanation. 1t seems not
improbable in fact that if any one Of the in
ferior varieties, possessing a fair degree of
terminating power, upon which success large
" depends, were taken in hand, that by
seminal propagation and careful selection
from the seedlings, as anytvarletlcs, showing
as wide a range Of size, colour, quality, &c,
might be procured from t in Il few genera
tons, DIS all the kinds Of canes collected from
all sugar-growing countries, which we now
possess, show This impression, gathered
from our bref experience, ~justifes sanguine
hopes of Improvement in the future of the
varieties we now cultivate, and imposes the
obligation of Jealous endeavour to realise this
improvement Another encouraging feature
of Seeding canes, is that the features they
first present appear not to be their best or
permanent ones. During the first two years,
at least, the period seedlings have been under
observation here, there seems to be a steady
general improvement in character. Where
the first shoots have been slender, subsequent
on es have come double the size, and where in
the earlier canes the joints have been short
and often bearded, in the later ones they have
been long and clean, and a higher gloss and
glow have also developed in the colour. So
that as two full years are in most instances
required for Seeding canes to reach maturity,
30 also this period is necessary for them to
develope their true character. The inference
may be taken from this that if the cultivation
of the seeding canes first discovered in Bar
bados had been extended, the objectionable
features for which they were discarded and
dest4 Dyed would have disappeared in which
case we should probably not now have to
lament the loss in the experimental working
of this potent discovery of the thirty years
which have elapsed since that time. Though
we havadescribed the wide variation and i'm