, 1890-01-15
Seeding Sugar Canes.
(Demerar0 ArgOsy Advertiser.)

The Barbados Seeding Sugar Canes-I
am indebted to Mr.. Bowel, Superintendent
OF Dodd's Botanical Station, Barbados, for
a set of six varieties of Seeding Sugar
Canes two canes of each kind, taken from
a larger number Of varieties he has select
eek as worth experimental cultivation.
They are from the lot of natural, or self.
sOwn, seedlings which Professor Barrison
and Mr.. Bowel discovered, over two years
ago in the experimental cane plots at Dodd's,
as narrated lr the letter of the former gen.
tIemang reproduced in these columns of
January 9th last; the past year therefore
being the second they have kmatured. All
six, Judging from these samples, are fine
varieties, above the average size of estates
canes, and some OF them nearly or quite AS
hne as any varieties known. This is very
encouraging as the result of selection from
the first lot of authentic seedlings, and I
need hardly say, promises greater success
under the systematic and methodical purv
suit of seminal propagation in the future.
IhFee OF the varieties are green; one
g%reenish yellow one claret with a prea
bloom, passing to a horn tinge finally tho
other purple Claret covered with a dense
grey bloom. The inteTnOdps are So inches
long /; girth 6-63 inches, weight SO lbs.
each cane; and length 6 Oft. They are all
bright.col0ured, clean, clear.skinned varie.
ties, with superficial eyes, before arrOwing.
and mostly CONSTRUCTED nodes, owing to the
lnternOdes being more or less tumid, an in
the Bourbon. They appear to me at pre-
sent quite distinct from any other varieties
with which | am acquainted. These excel
lent and highly promising canes, as | have
lntlmated, are the cream of the first batch
of seedlings; the rest show "a wide range
and much variety of character; some are
fairly large, some a medium size, Others
very dlmlnutive, being reed like, and not
larger than slender walking sticks. Taking
them altogether, however, from the large to
the small, they exhibit, for the first lot of
seedlings, of a single seasons production.
and OF what | may call accidental birth and
DUBIOUS parentage, quite a wonderful range
OF variation. IL my paper of April 18th
last, IN speaking of the discovery of semi
nal fertility IN the sugar cane, I said that
a. door revealing a limitless vision was
thereby opened to breeders and expert
mentors; but L confess that the value these
nrSt seedlings possess, from a parentage
that planters here regard as very inferior
stock, has astonished me, and in far great
or imam anything l anticipated so early. So
Tar as can be Judged from the specimens
MT. B0VelI has sent me, these better kinds,
the characteristics of which I have de.
Scrlbed, possess no defective or undesirable
external characters. They have yet how
ever to be chemically analysed, and their
individual and relative merits determined
from that standpoint. Tbs is an import
ant test, so important that it might damn
the prospects of and send to Oblivion the
finest looking Seeding which happened
under the analysis to show itself deficient
in the saccharine qualities which give i'm.
portance to canes, or to redeem a reed of
much inferior size that excelled in such =
qualities. 4 "a a.
Amongst some of the inferior Seeding
varieties which Mr.. Bovell sent, and others
that Mr.. Harrison brought with him from
Barbados and gave me, to show the range
of variation, are q few that are clothed ina
network of roots from end to end. These
are aerial roots, which are emitted at the
joints as the a extends, before the
leaves drop off or are. removed, ard which
as they extrude turn at right angles and
grow down, closely embracing the stem.
This character, must not be COMPOUNDED
with that which is common to All varieties.
MN HfNA go