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or suckers, produce seedless fruits. In tiie last year or two, however, 

 the cane has been made to produce true seed. The idea by which this 

 result was achieved was in itself a simple one, yet the thought may 

 produce a revolution in cane culture. Professors Harrison and Bovell, 

 of Dodd's Reformatory, Barbadoes, conceived the idea that by placing 

 in close proximity unlike varieties of cane from different parts of the 

 world, by cross fertilization, perfect fructification might result." Ex- 

 periments with this method at this station and elsewhere have already 

 resulted in the production of several new varieties of great promise. 



Part of the cane best for seed. — The question whether the upper part 

 of the cane may be used successfully for seed is discussed and the re- 

 sults of experiments in planting different parts of the stalk are recorded 

 and compared with those of similar experiments in previous years. 

 Theplanof these experiments was in brief as follows : " The stalks were 

 cut up into short pieces, beginning with the green, immature toj), and 

 ending with the butts. Two eyes were left upon each cutting, and each 

 stalk was selected so as to give eleven cuttings. Seventy-five of these 

 cuttings, containing one hundred and fifty eyes, were devoted to each 

 experiment." There were thus eleven experiments, one for each of the 

 parts into which the stalks were cut. Observations for each experi- 

 ment included the number of stalks from the one hundred and fifty eyes 

 planted; development at different dates during growth ; yield of stalks; 

 results of chemical analyses, including degree Baume, total solids, su- 

 crose, glucose, co-eflficient of purity and glucose ratio of juice; and total 

 calculated yield per acre of stalks and of available sugar, etc. 



Number of staRs of cane to plant. — Plant vs. stubble cane for seed. — In 

 18S9, as in 1887 and 1888, different plats were planted with cane in dif- 

 ferent degrees of thickness (from one cane with a lap to four canes with 

 a lap) in rows 7 feet apart. The whole cane, upper and lower halves, 

 and upper, middle, and lower thirds, were used in different rows. The 

 results for these years are stated in tables. In 1889, as in 1888, one 

 half the field was newly planted, but the other half was allowed to grow 

 from stubble of the previous year. " Observations on germination and 

 on development, produce of stalks, chemical composition of cane, and 

 yield of sugar were made as in the experiments described above." 



Vitality of eyes in ichole canes planted. — Some persons recommend 

 cutting the cane for seed because they believe that '-when an eye or 

 an entire stalk starts vigorously into growth it can and may injure 

 the vitality of the other eyes" on the same stalk. To get light on 

 this subject experiments recorded in this bulletin were undertaken. 

 In thirteen experiments two whole canes of about 4 feet in length were 

 jilanted in trenches, with their tops and butts from 3 to 24 inches deep, 

 and in another experiment one whole cane was planted i)erpendicularly, 

 top up and butt down. The canes were planted March 13 and dug No- 

 vember 14 and 15, when "the growing canes were removed and counted, 

 the mother stalk carefully washed and examined, and each eye care- 

 fully treated as regards germination and soundness." ]l!\otes on each 



