188 TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO BULLETIN. \XIX. 4. 



SUGAR. 



SUGAR CANE EXPERIMENTS 1919-21. 



Trinidad Seedlings and Tests of Varieties, and some 



observations on Loss due to Mosaic Disease- 

 By Joseph de Veeteuil, F.I.C, F.C.S., Agricultural Chemist, and 

 L. A. Brunton, Assistant Superintendent, St. Augustine 

 Experiment Station. 



This report is divided into three parts : — 



(1) Raising and testing of new Trinidad seedlings. 



(2) Testing of varieties grown in plots. 



(3) Mosaic Disease Observations. 



Raising and Testing of New Trinidad Seedlings. 



The work started in 1917 in connection with the raising of new 

 sugar-cane seedlings has been continued on the lines indicated in the 

 report for 1917-19. (2) 



Ten out of the forty-three seedlings raised in 1917, which were 

 selected for a second trial and planted out in small plots on November 4, 

 1919, have been discarded owing to not having maintained their good 

 field characters of the first year. These varieties grew very badly and 

 were generally susceptible to disease. The results of the thirty-three 

 varieties which were allowed to grow to maturity will be found under 

 Table VI. 



One hundred and twenty-nine of the seedlings raised in 1918, which 

 were selected for their combined field characters and analytical results 

 for a second trial, were planted out in small plots, in Field 12, on 

 October 25, 1920. 



TRINIDAD SEEDLINGS RAISED IN 1919. 



Out of the seedlings raised and potted in 1919, 2,409 were planted 

 out in the field during February and March, 1920. Unfortunately a very 

 severe period of drought followed the planting out of these seedlings — 

 only 22 parts of rain having been recorded during April and May at 

 St. Augustine — with the result that about 20 per cent, of the weaker 

 plants died. These blanks were replaced in June with plants which had 

 been kept in bamboo pots, but they were very backward when the 

 reaping season arrived, whereas, the seedlings which were planted out 

 early, generally grew into very fair stools. Of the seedlings originally 

 planted out, 180 or 7"5 per cent, were selected from their field characters 

 for analytical test and 58 or 2*4 per cent, have been selected for a 

 second trial. 



(2) Bull. Dept. Ayr., Trinidad and Tobago, XVIII, 1919, 13G. 



