SUGAR CROPS 1777 



vitality of cane seed. The results, as shown in the appended table I are 

 interesting as it is evident that, with proper care, cane seed retains its vita- 

 lity for a condiderable period. 



II. — Variation in Morphologicai, Characters. — Under this head- 

 ing are considered variations in vigour and size, general habit, erectness 

 of young shoots, tillering, width and colour of leaves, colour and thickness 

 of canes. Between some of these characters a certain amount of correlation 

 is observed which, though not definitely settled, at least gives the impres- 

 sion that further study will show that certain infantile characters of the seed 

 lings will be found to be related. If this can be proved, a great step in ad- 

 vance will be made as all present indications point to the fact that any clas- 

 sification of the cultivated sugarcanes nmst be based on the accumulation 

 of a number of often very minute morphological characters, which, taken to- 

 gether, give the plant an indefinable but real mode of habit. With regard 

 to vigour and size the seedlings of any batch though raised under identical 

 conditions differ greatly in size and vigour. In many cases it has been noted 

 that seedlings standing out from the rest because of their great growth, 

 have a comparatively low sucrose percentage in the juice. Excessive vigour 

 in a seedling, otherwise than a cross, is therefore not altogether a desirable 

 character. 



III. — Variation in the Sucrose Percentage in the Juice. — In 

 addition to the usual " bulk " analyses of the juice at harvest time, a series 

 of preliminary (" petty ") analyses were made before that date as the seedling 

 of different parentage vary very considerably in their order of ripening and 

 the petty analyses give an idea as to the order in which the plots should be 

 cut for final anah^sis. 



Later on, as the bulk analysis at crop time was not considered a sufti- 

 cienth' safe guide, it was decided to select from the series of analyses of am' 

 seedling, that containing the highest reading of sucrose. In doing this, 

 however, due regard was paid to the percentage of glucose and the botanical 

 description made at crop time. 



The accompanying table II giving details of the amount of sucrose in 

 the juice of parents and seedlings shows considerable variations in the su- 

 crose content of seedlings of the same parentage. There is also a definite 

 relation between parent and offspring in this respect, the better parents 

 producing the better seedlings. The analyses of the special crosses also 

 show that the sucrose in the seedlings a])proximates to the average of 

 the two parents. In other cases the average sucrose of the seedlings is 

 generally lower than that of the parents but this ma)^ be due to the fact that 

 it was not always possible to analyse a seedling at its optimum. 



Table III shows the effect of different soil and environmental condi- 

 tions on the quality of the juice of seedlings. It will be seen that the seed- 

 lings respond readil}^ to changes in soil and water. 



The question as to the permanence of the juice characters of cane seed- 

 lings when propagated as sets has been studied but the data are as yet insufii- 

 cient for definite conclusions to be drawn. Both the period of the 3'ear at 

 which canes are cropped and the nature of the weather appear to influence 



