I 



1922.\ SUGAR CANE EXPERIMENTS 1919-21. 191 



Although a few of these seedlings might appear hardly worthy of 

 retention it is considered preferable, especially for the first year's selection 

 to err on the side of leniency. It will be seen from the above that the 

 bulk of the good seedlings were raised from H. '? and L. 511. 



When the stools of these selected varieties have grown up, 

 cuttings will be planted out in plots about October-November and 

 grown in competition with standard varieties, such as Bourbon, B. 156, 

 Badilla, or Ba. 6032. From the results obtained a further selection will 

 be made, only those varieties which give very good results will be kept 

 and planted in larger plots. 



SEEDLINGS RAISED IN 1920. 



About 15,000 seedlings were raised in 1920 ; of these over 6,000 were 

 potted and 4,016 of the most vigorous planted out in the field during 

 March and April 1921. The weather has been favourable and the young 

 seedlings have made very good growth. 



RE-SELECTION OF SEEDLINGS RAISED IN 1918. 



After the seedlings, raised in 1917, had been cut for testing, all the 

 stools were dug out. Those which had been selected for a further trial 

 were divided into two or three according to their size and replanted 

 in a convenient spot, where they could be watered with the object of 

 getting cuttings for planting out in plots. This is the method followed 

 in Barbados, but at St. Augustine it did not give very good results. 

 Accordingly, the following season, after the seedlings had been cut for 

 testing, the stools were allowed to remain on the spot and ratoon. This 

 has proved to be much more satisfactory and in addition it has enabled 

 us to make a second selection, as follows : The seedlings which did not 

 grow suflBciently strong to warrant their being tested in the first year 

 but which grew into large stools as ratoons were, this year, sampled and 

 the juice analysed, with the result that several canes which would 

 otherwise have been rejected, will be given a trial from cuttings. By 

 this method, care being taken to leave the small shoots which are not fit 

 for testing, a larger number of cuttings are obtained from the selected 

 stools for planting out in plots at the end of the year. Mcn-eover, this 

 may lead to finding a good ratooning cane. 



The results from this selection are given in the following table. 



