478 SCIENCE PROGRESS. 



to look for them. Whether this was at all a common 

 occurrence or not, it is certain that the arrowing of the cane 

 was regarded with superstitious dread. Brahmins have 

 been known to desert a district in which it occurred.^ 



This constant cutting of the canes before the flowering 

 period arrived, and the consequent absence of arrows, has 

 undoubtedly tended to strengthen the belief in the non- 

 fertility of cane-seed. It is now regarded as probable that 

 the sugar-cane has never entirely lost its seeding powers ; 

 and there are some who believe that the immense number 

 of varieties which have gradually crept into existence are 

 not bud-varieties but true hybrids. 



1 8. Experiments with seedling canes have now been 

 carried out in every quarter of the globe. Excellent 

 varieties have been reared by crossing ; and the nature of 

 seedlincr canes and the means of obtainino- them is well 

 understood. Yet it is barely ten years since the fertility of 

 cane seed became a recognised fact. 



The discovery of cane seedlings appears to have been 

 made in the island of Barbados,^ where we learn that a 

 planter named Parris, in 1858, observed great numbers of 

 seedlings which he carefully reared, but rejected because of 

 the appearance of certain objectionable characters. In spite 

 of the authentic records of this fact, as well as less certain 

 statements regarding the discovery of cane seedlings in 

 Java a couple of years later, the fertility of cane seed was 

 again disputed and these observations almost forgotten. 



Natural seminal reproduction seems to be particularly 

 favoured by the climatic conditions in Barbados, whereas 

 in Java the reverse appears to be the case. Soltwedel in 

 the latter island made crossing experiments for years, besides 

 carefully searching the fields, before he succeeded in 1886-87 

 in proving to his own satisfaction that he could thus produce 

 hybrid canes. In Barbados, on the other hand, a search in 

 the fields by Harrison and Bo veil was rewarded by the 

 discovery of many thousands of plants in January, 1888. 

 While the Java results were not made public for several 



1 Watt. 



- Kobus (6). See also es2:)ecially /Ceii' Bidletin, Oct., 1891. 



