, 1890-09-24

III II norma( manner, to plants of true sugar
cane. P0rsiOnS Of the arrow for Towering
%lanlcle) OF the sugar canes, supposed 10
yield the seedlings, were in CONSEQUENCES
sent at my request flom Barbados Tor the
purpose Of settling this point. Some hun
dredS of SpikeletS were carefully examined,
but it was only after II heightened investi-
CATION that Il few Seeds were found at Kew
in a perfect state. 1heSewere submitted 10
observation TO those most competent to
form an opinion Respecting them. Some
of the seeds were SOwn under suitable con
ditionS, and the whole process OF germina-
ton carefully watched: Ultimately, these
observations were repeated over and over
again during Il period extending over
several weeks, and at last the fact was full
~ proTed 10y a series of microsc0pical PIE.
partitions, W ich definitely >ettltd the mat.
ter beyond doubt or question. Following
this, | read a laptr hrime II Linneau
Society, OH March 10, giving the circum.
stances attending the discovery by MeSSrS.
Harrison and Bowel of Seeding sugar
canes at Barbados, and accompanied by II
description and drawings Of the seeds and
OF the process of termination as ubServ-
ed at Kew. Further, Seeding canes were
shown in different stages OF growth, some
received from Barbados direct and others
raised in this country. If this paper had
been published Immediately it would have
been seen at a glance that full credit had
been given to MesSrs. Harrison and BOvelE
for all they had done.
1t is well known that a paper contributed
to any Of the learned societies remains the
property Of the society, and its publication
cannot be anticipated untiI it is published
in regular course in the Society'S "Journar'
on Transactions | may, however, state
at once that in my paper, read before u
full meeting OF the LinIIeau Society QUOT
j. Q from my manuscript copy, ! used the
following wOTds:-"Duriug the last two
years, owing to the very Intelligent expert
ments carried OH at the Botanical Sta
ton at Barbados, MeSSrS. Harrison and
Bowel have shown very c0ncluSively that
certain varieties fthe common sugar cane
produce mature fruits and, further, ''the
experiments at Barbados, confirmed by OBJ
servatious at Trinidad, Demerara, and
|latterly at Kew, have now very clearly
proved that the varieties of sugar canes
known as Purple Transparent ana White
Transparent periodically produce seed at
Barbados, and that the Bourbon cane,
known also as Otaheite cane, may do so
very s%paringly, From seed Of the former
received from Barbados Sugar-cane plants
have been successfully grown at Kew,
and observations have be p: made which
are embodied III this paper There is here
a clear and definite 81 attinent Of facts, and
if nothing more were on record this would
at once show that no attempt had been
made to take from MessrS. Harrison and
Bowel any of the credit due to them in this
matter.
Unfortunately, owing to prefg of other
and earlier matter, my paper las not yet
been published. The notices of it wliicl.
appeared in tile newspapers were neceSsa-
rily very brief and incomplete. / wrote at
the time TO both MpSSrl Harrison and
B0vell in regard to these notices, aud pro-
missed to send the full text Of my paper as
soon as possible. Within IA few days, how
ever, I exhibited specimens Of shgar-catle
seeds and Seeding canes before tile Scien-
tifc Committee of The Royal Horticultural
Society. A short account Of this was
widely circulated in the press, and APP
peared. amongst other papers, in the Sugar
Cane, The Colonies and India, and the
Eur0pedn Mat. All obese papers have a
wide circulation III tile West Indies; and
the references to the Barbados experiments;
necessarily brief, are as follows ;LAttAt
Barbados, several times d~uriHg9the last
twenty years, aud more recently byGMeSsrs:
Harrison and Bowel, S~elf-Sown seedlings of
the sugar cane have been ObServetl,p az.
LII fact, IN every instance in which atieli=
ton was drawn by me to the seedlings Of
an no p Onnn tlo 40 O1oS IF R1aSS,S Eoraicnn