IB 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



JANU.NEY 20, 190G. 



cano might give very good results in certain soils, or in 

 a wet or dry season, while proving an utter failure in 

 others. 



The latter method of attempting to secure cross- 

 fertilization between known varieties referred to above 

 was carried out in Java and elsewhere by carefully 

 selecting two varieties known to arrow at the same 

 time and planting them in adjacent plots. By these 

 means it was hoped that one variety would be crossed 

 by the other. In some cases this no doubt took place. 

 Another step was the bagging of the arrows some time 

 before they reached maturity. On the ripening of the 

 pollen, the contents of one bag were shaken into the 

 bags of another variety, which was to be the female 

 parent. As some of the seedlings were suspected of 

 having been produced by pollination inter se, some 

 uncertainty still remained as to the parentage of 

 the resultant seedlings. 



An important step in advance was made in the 

 hybridization of the sugar-cane, when it was found that 

 certain varieties did not produce fertile pollen, while 

 their pistil was normal : whereas other canes produced 

 a very large amount of normal pollen. Taking 

 advantage of this, the Imperial Department of Agri- 

 culture in 1902 started artificial cross-pollination, 

 by means of which the flowers of one variety were 

 emasculated while still young, and then pollen was 

 transferred from another variety by means of a camel's 

 hair brush. Owing to the minute character of the 

 flowers of the sugar-cane, this was a difficult process, 

 especially as it had to be carried out while the operator 

 stood on a temporary platform 10 to 12 feet high. 

 This experiment was, however, successfully carried 

 out by Mr. L. Lewton-Brain, B.A., F.L.S., (now 

 Assistant Director of Vegetable Pathology, Hawaiian 

 Sugar Planters' Association) in November 1904, when 

 he was Mycologist on the staff of the Imperial Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture for the West Indies. He worked 

 with some of the best of the Barbados varieties and 

 obtained five seedlings, which proved that the raising 

 of hybrid sugar-canes by artificial cross-fertilization 

 Avas practicable. The resulting seedlings are the first 

 raised in the West Indies whose parentage on both 

 sides is a matter of certaint}-. They are being carefully 

 propagated, and instructive results are expected to 

 follow. The method adopted by Mr. Lewton-Brain is 

 fully described in the Wrst Indian Bull ct in (Vol. V, 

 pp. :JG2-3). 



In view of the success of this work, it was decided 

 last year to make s}-stematic attempts, on a larger scale. 



The work was entrusted to Mr. F. A. Stockdale, B.A., 

 ilycologist on the staff of the Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture. Owing to fluctuating variations in some of 

 the new seedlings, only those which had stood stringent 

 tests on a large scale, for a considerable time, were used 

 in the experiments. That is, an attempt was made to 

 raise pedigree seedlings from selected varieties only. 

 Of these, B. 147 and B. 20S were considered the best, 

 and over 400 spikelets of these two varieties were 

 emasculated and pollinated. Three so"nd canes were 

 chosen in the varieties to be used, and at least a dozen 

 spikelets in each arrow were operated upon. Crossing 

 was then made in two directions, the pollen j^arent in 

 one cross being used as the seed parent in the other 

 cross ; in other words, one variety was utilized as the 

 female parent in one cross and as the male parent in 

 the other cross. 



In all, over COO spikelets were emasculated 

 and artificially pollinated last year, and it is hoped 

 that the results obtained may be such as will, 

 before long, fully carry out the objects in view. 

 A concise account is being kept of the crosses per- 

 formed, and next year it is hoped that a series of 

 investigations into the cytology of the sugar-cane will 

 be carried on, with the view of determining exactly the 

 right age for pollination, as well as overcoming man}- of 

 the mechanical difficulties that have hitherto been met 

 with. 



If the results of the new method of breeding 

 sugar-canes described above are still further extended 

 during the next few years, and the lines so successfully 

 adopted by Messrs. Garton and others in raising new 

 varieties of wheat and oats in England are closely 

 followed, the prospects of the sugar industry in these 

 colonies should be still further improved. There are 

 now no good reasons why we should not be in a position 

 to produce pedigree sugar-canes as well as pedigree 

 wheat and oats. 



CO-OPERATION IN AGRICULTURE. 



On agi-icaltunil lines, both in England and Ireland, the 

 co-operative idea ha.s found siicce.s.sful adoption. In Ireland 

 the co-operative societies number about 800, with 79,000 

 members, and controlling a trade of -^7,200,000. The societies 

 are formed almost \\hol)y of the small working farmers, and 

 they are generally well satisfied v.-itb the practical benefits 

 that have been assured in the past. With an increase of about 

 sevenfold in a comparatively short time, the advocates of the 

 co-partnership plan feel decidedly hopeful as to the future. 

 It is a pleasure to note that the report sliows a devotion on 

 the part of the controlling factors to plain duty honestly 

 performed of the most gratifying character, meeting high 

 ideals faithfully. {U. S. Monthbj Consular Reports, October 

 1905.) 



