, 1892-02-20

Qualities when mature. These varieties
have made the fortunes of the planters OF
Louisiana. They only have stood the &C.
verify of he seasons; the other kinds are
not suitable to the climate OF Louisiana.
The planters of this State owe to John JOS.
CoirOn ~ debt, which should be recognized
and paid by u statue or some public mOnu-
ment equally las ing and conspicuous. He
died about twenty-five years ago., without
having lived to realize or anticipate the ex-
tent of the benefits and wealth be had COLI
ferred ON Louisiana.
The above clearly ex plains the history OF
our striped cane. But the assertion that
our purple is u degenerate variety OF the
striped is seriously questioned. 1t il claim.
ed. even by some old planters, that this de-
generation is constantly going on, and that
q plantation started with striped cane viii
ultimately have mostly purple left on It.
This they substantiate by, reference TO the
pred0miuance of The purple sane through.
ont the State. Others claim, that they
are aud have been diStiliot SPECIES
ell the time, and that in the vessel Toad,
introduced by Mr.. CoirOn, were some Of both
varieties, though OveriOo ked at the Tins.
These mixed CANES have been since planted,
and the fact of the predomihance OF the
purple may simply be a declaration OF the
'~.ssnryial Of the nttsst" within it'd environ
menk
IT may here be remarked that in the hiIl
countries of Georgia, Alabama, Mi .sissippi
and Louisiana, the writer has found only
purpI. cane grown as a crop. May not it's
better adaptabiIity to such northern lati-
tudes account for it's presence there, without
the striped Z The purple was either intro
duced as u separate variety, along with
striped, or else has originated 40 n bud
variation from the striped with more vigO-
rOus tendencies. The Station several years
ago began the separate culture Of these two
canes. Each year the best types Of each
variety are carefully selected and planted
Up to date we hava found th~ purple con-
slant, but each year reveals . few purple
canes in the striped. A majority of the
cane used for seed on the Station is purple.
1t is not unfreQuently the case that u pillow
man or common field hand picks up . piece Ut
'1plou0hed- up" cane and puts II in Ahe ground
unfortunately. In this way every year -
few stalks of purple might slip into the
striped. But there are found several white
canes identical in appearance, except color,
also scattered through the striped, AMI
every shade and width of stripe bstwcen
almost sol idly white to solidly purple.
These have been carefully examined AMI
uOGt Ia. OOliUtlnCS q NOi ~ "'~etASNy
striped in the lower joints, and very family,
if at all, SIT, iped in the upper. The latter
pecnliarties have been noted in the Bsta-
Wan striped and Mexican stYiped, recently
imported, and - careful study has been,
made to try to connect the stripes With Tho,
effects Of exposure to sunshine, These Sacts
subStantiate u declaration often made, that
the striped varieties of cane have greater
tendency to variation than the solid colcred
canes. As all illustration OF bud variation.
three years ago some stalks OF cane, partly
white aud partly purple, we're selected from.
the field of SOniat Bros TcboupltOulas plan
tation. They were called by them bastard
canes. These stalks were taken and planted
as follows: FRS, row, the entire stalk;
second row, the white joints of each, stalk.
AT the end of the season four distinct Canes.
as far aA color could direct us, were obtain
ed. Types OF thu fou new varieties were
selected and separately lplanted,a and THE
year were found to 10 nearly npures BE-
lection and separate paintings were again
made aiI the rest harvested and auslysed.
These canes have been named as foll0ws
First, o cane, No. %. Se,iat after che own.
ere OF the plantation second, q light striped
No. "a, Nicholls. after the Governor of our
State = thifd, - light purple cancel No. a.
Bird, after the Commissioners Of Agriculture:
fourth, q dark seyiped, No. IS. tGasiR. after
the other rember of the Board of Agricul-
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