, 1892-03-26
THE BOTANIC GAR
DENS, DEMERARA.
EXPERIMENTAL CANE CULTIVATION.
From the Demsrara Argosy, IS FAB.

(Fr0m the DemerdrG ATg0sy, ~ TSo.)
Leaving the Consideration OF the weather
AMI the natural proluc ions and exports
aft ctpd thereby, we come to the subject,
which az before mentioned, occupies the
lar ger number of pages in the Report,
namely Experimental Sugar Cane Clltiva-
ton. Hardly anything of Importance among
the Aa,ural productions Of the colony is
overlooked in the Report. but it is only tair,
as ackn0wlpdgnI the natural prop triton of
thi lgS. which W. have every oOhience will
rule for my YEA y to come, that the sugar
cane should receive q larger measure Ot AT.
trntion tlul the subject OF any other In
duSttv. We have before said fbat this part
of the Report contains a good deaf of Ihf0r-
nation on Iepr0 lurlnE new varieties 0fcane
from seed-a subject which ~ new, ana
which cOnstQ uenrly COntrtbB e5 the chiet
interest OF the Report. Mucn else however
in regard to the experimental CULTIVATION or
tn. cane il dealt with, which thOugl We
cannot fully summarize, we must touch upon
b.rp alfl III ~. In the Ell licr years of the
g rlens the varieties OF eane-frW jn mum
Der 1T tn It time procured, were grown ia
thu nlrSrty. VIII re. the general propaga ION
is carried on. Su@s"Quently it was dIScoY-
ed that a plot OF laud, tourtren acres I'D tx
ten Wing 1T the southeast corner OF the
Gardens. belonged 81 lac estate, an ~ tbs
collection Of .Uanrs increased, and 'SreAiI50
tDO large for convenient accolDn pdatton ~
the nursery, il was mustered there. Ile
wOi k was confined to procuring aS many va
FietieS OF cane AS possible from the different
regions Of tbe world where tire cane ~ grown,
testing ana comparing the physical ahN
chemical qualities Of 8 lcli, that persons IN
crested might be able TO Judge which were
most worth cultivating. After several yet's'
I l-.: FALtItlT all AU1Gil~
Die v ~trieties, this work had been in al ps-
s~eutial details completed, when there line
tho discovery ut the seminal fertility of the
cave, VIII ch gave ~ new AMI greatly %eBIanc-
ed interest and imp .tuS to its experimental
cultivation. II additi0a 0the kind ut work
lust described, aud tAe raising OF seedlings,
Which too would have 10 Dc passed through
the process described fot te+ ~ :: The chit
actrri>, les If the older ca le% to ascertain
their merits. il va, thought Tint, concnI-
rently. d series Of m3nurial experiments
migj,t ne carried on. For tots latter pnr-
pose the llS. OF land more conveniently slt1~
attd and bet ~ drained than the held at the
hack of The estate Just DOW allu0eu 10 was
sought to be obtained. The desire however
failed. though both Mr.. Neville lubbock and
Mr.. Howell Jones offered land, free OF rent,
at Peters Hall ami Houston estates reSpec-
bAbCly ~ ~ Ii' p'FN -
necessarily refused on r0nSldeia tIonS OF
convenience IN supervision" As regards
drainage of the Botanic G~ar'IenS' land, the
difficulty was, in a measure got over, by the
offer of Mr.. Quintin llogg 10 allow the hel0
to b. connected with til" dr'lahge OF La
Penitence estate, which offer wtS accepted
Mr.. WOlSeley gave the tops from AlSlgiian.
delivered free. Cor the FIRST planting OF the.
experimental mannrtal plots, Sohe ninety
one IN nnmbrr.and the AngIo-C"ni"entai
Gnano Works, london, The different man
urrS repaired. Samples of The soil were
ann NS,il and. III IL ldition t"theIr c"mpoSi-
tiol. the ,legtr" of contraction which takes
place IN tlrl ing WAS a~c"rtained, the innn-
ence of which on pla'i life in protracted
droughtS is lwtlt ,ip"n. All til" old varle.
ties Of cane collected from various parts of
the would, arranged according to colour
afinities, are described and their synonymy
cared mp. OF these varieties Ella p:te ta-