1776 



SUGAR CROPS 



During the periods 1911-13, 1912,14, 1913-15, 1914-1916, several thou- 

 sands of seedling were raised from seed derived from local varieties or from 

 arrows collected from various parts of India. The data relating to these 

 seedlings — parentage (whether selfed or crossed), percentage of open an- 

 thers, germination etc. — are collected, in a series of tables. In the present 

 summary space only allows of attention being paid to points, of more general 

 interest. For instance, in 1914, owing to the somewhat saline nature of the 

 soil of the experimental plots and to the qualit}' of the irrigation water, some 

 interesting data were obtained as to the great variation in the capacity of 

 different canes to resist saline soil and water, some growing strongly and ra- 

 pidly while others die out completely. 



The stody of the cause of airowing in the cane has led to frujtful results, 

 There are 2 cane-planting seasons in the neighbourhood of Coimbatore, 

 one in February-March and one in July-August or even later. The former 

 is in vogue on garden-land irrigated by wells and the latter on wet lands under 

 tanks. From a special study of each field from which arrows were obtained 

 in the neighbourhood it soon became evident that canes planted in February- 

 March do not usually flower while those planted at any time between Aug.- 

 Nov. do so in the following Oct. -Nov. if allowed to remain in the ground. 

 In the wet land generally the canes are more likely to flower and this has 

 found to be the case even when they are planted as early as April-May. 

 The result of an experimental arrowing plot under these latter conditions 

 was eminently satisfactor}-. Among others, some 12 Notth India caries bore 

 arrows, some for the first time on record. Unfortunately, in most of these 

 the stamens remained obstinately closed but it is hoped to overcome this 

 drawback b}'- crossing a hardly North Indian indigenous cane with a richer 

 exotic one provided they can be induced to flower simultaneoush'. 



During the last period, 1914-1916, experiments were carried out on the 



