, 1891-06-20

tinued): | thought lG would De interestingly 10
you to know what the flower of the sugar
cane is like. For something like six weeks
took the matter in hand in order to verify
the fact whether sugar cane did prOduceseed
or not because certain grasses Ill that class
produce bulbels andthe fact which we sought
to determine was whether the seed cane
produced in Barbados was not one OF these
bulbels, and we were told by one of the
greatest professional botanists OF the day
that before we are satisfied that sugar
cane does produce seed, we must see the
seed inside the glumes. When | state
that in a panicle containing $4,000 or 80,
900 flowers of the sugar cane, there are not
more than 200 30 or 40 seeds, you can eaSl-
Is understand what q difficult task it iS to
find one of these very little seeds which is
only One.sixteentll of an inch long, and one
fOrtveighth of an inch wide, wrapped up in
these little envelopes. Well it was done.
Tue seeds we're found in these gIumeS, ta-
ken out, placed OH damp flannel and the
whole process of termination carefully
watched and carried on at the laboratory
at Kew. They came from Barbados, and
were submitted to Sir JOS. Hooker and
other Botanists, and they all agree with
the fact that the sugar cane was produced
from a little seed and was not the produce
of these bulbels( Cheers Now do not want
to occupy your time this evening in speak
ing at any greater length. l hope that some
others in this room will be able to add
something for the information OF the meet
ing. What I wanted to bring before You
was this fact. That it is most importlnt
for Won tO'maintain these experiments, eth
or at DOddS, or elsewhere; and think that
the colony will only do Itself justice by
n,u.,;,~ -, 4b;, vuOrly which 10 now hainr
carried on at very small expense indeed tn
themselves, and bring tho work forward in
such a way as to be of permanent benefit to
the sugar industry of this island. Great
applause).
Sir Walter Sendall: Ladies' and gentle
men,-BefOre | ask you to express your
appreciation of the address to which YOU
have inst listened, | will endeavOnr to OH
tain a few remarks from others present. |
will ask II gentleman who is here passing
through the West Indies, and who l be-
lieve will make some observations that you
will be glad to listen to- will ask Mr..
Webster. Member of PAIL lment, to adj
dress the meeting. (Cheers).
Mr.. Webster thereupon rose and said,-
Your Excellency, ladies and gentIemen.-l
assure You that when this morning | received
an invitation to come to this meeting. | had
no idea that I should be asked to address
any remarks to You, but when u man who
has the honour to represent i'll all humble
capacity the Imperial Parliament OF
the United Kingdom, happens to he in any
part of the Imperial realm, it appears to me
that when he is called on by the Governor
ola colony to address an audience, it is his
duty to speak. | have listened with great
interest to the valuable and interest
inc address which Mr.. Morris has given
YOU. i am not able in any form or
shape in the presence of Il presume) past
masters in agriculture and horticulture in
this colony, to express any opinion as to the
merits of this question; but from listening to
it [ am able to Judge that Mr.. Morris has
given very careful attention to the subjects
which he has propounded to you, and
think that his advice that this colony or
any colony should not put all their eggs i'll
one basket, is to some extent a matter
not to be considered lightly. With regard
to the several fiscal questions which are
now Immediately before this colony and
other parts of the British Empire, do not
think it would become me as a member of
the, House of Commons to say very much.
I can assure you, however, that we are not
altogether regardless of the interests of the
West Indies in the British Parliament. We
attempted-I know unSuccesSfully-abOnt
two years ago TO do away with what | con-
tend is an unjust, and Unfair system; namely,
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