432 EXPERIMENT STATION RECOED. 



The varieties which have given good results at the station are D 95, D 117, 

 B 347. and B 1,355. T 77, D 117, B 347, and B 3,289 have proved drought 

 resistant in the southern part of the island. In preliminary tests of seedling 

 canes the following gave satisfactory results on the east end of the island: 

 D 77, B 3,289, B 347, D 117, and D 95. The yield, sugar content, and purity 

 of a number of canes are given in tables. 



The passing' of the Bourbon cane in Antigua, H. A. Tempany (West Indian 

 Bui., 10 (1909), No. 1, pp. SJf-SJf). — In yield the Bourbon cane did not differ 

 greatly from the varieties grown at the present time. It was largely subject to 

 attacks of rind fungus as shown by the amount of rotten cane found in the field, 

 and its juice, giving about 1.9 lbs. of sugar per gallon, did not equal in richness 

 the juice of the varieties which have taken its place. The attacks of the rind 

 fungus reduced the sugar content and increased the glucose ratio. 



The Bourbon contained less fiber but gave better milling results than the 

 varieties now grown. Manurial treatment did not appear to make the cane more 

 resistant to the rind fungus, and newly imported stock showed equal liability 

 to its attacks. It is believed that the fungus threads secrete a ferment capable 

 of dissolving a passage through the cell walls, and as the Bourbon cane was less 

 fibrous than the White Transpai*ent its cell walls were more easily penetrated. 

 The most generally accepted theory regarding the spread of the disease was 

 that of wound infection by means of wind-blown spores. 



A cane stripping experiment at Olaa plantation (Hawaii. Planters^ Mo., 28 

 (1909), JS/O. 6, pp. 19.5-200). — Experiments were made to determine, if possible, 

 the effect of stripping the cane on the yield of sugar and the probable gain or 

 loss resulting from the same. 



Analyses showed but very little difference even in the extremes in the purity 

 and sucrose content of stripped and uustripped cane. The development of roots 

 along the stalk also was found to have very little injurious effect, if any, on 

 the sugar content and purity of the juice. In fiber content the unstripped cane 

 was considerably lower than the stripped cane, showing that stripping had a 

 general tendency to harden the cane and make it more fibrous. The difference 

 in cost of production per ton in favor of unstripped cane was 11.5 cts. 



Sweet potato work in 1908, T. E. Keitt (South Carolina Sta. Bui. 146, 

 pp. 3-21 ) . — Earlier work with the sweet potato by different experiment stations 

 is reviewed, and the more recent work conducted by the South Carolina Station 

 is noted. Descriptions are given of 14 different varieties which entered into 

 this test. The results of work on starch content are reported, and the method 

 of starch determination is described. 



It was found that the water content in the different varieties of sweet pota- 

 toes examined varied as a rule from 65 to 69 per cent, and it appeared that if 

 any considerable increase in this percentage took place there was a correspond- 

 ing decrease in the starch content. Polo, Arkansas Beauty, and Yellow Nance- 

 mond, all varieties with over 72 per cent of water, contained below 15 per cent 

 of starch. The leading varieties and the amounts of starch produced per acre 

 were as follows: Southern Queen 4,443 lbs., Brazilian 4,148 lbs., Fulleton Yam 

 3,418 lbs., Pumpkin Yam 3,048 lbs., Nancy Hall 2,694 lbs., and Tennessee Notch- 

 leaf 2,629 lbs. Southern Queeu and Brazilian are white, which is an ad- 

 vantage in starch manufacture, and they were also the two heaviest yielders in 

 this experiment, Brazilian yielding -450 bu. and Southern Queen 416 bu. per 

 acre. A study of the fermentable carbohydrates of the different varieties also 

 puts Southern Queen and Brazilian in the lead, the theoretical yield in gallons 

 of alcohol per acre being 473.5 and 462.2, respectively. The percentage of fer- 

 mentable carbohydrates ranged from 18.62 in Polo to 27.15 in Shanghor Yam. 



