Pomeroy: Bud Variations in Sugar Cane 



135 



of uncertain origin, has given rise to 

 the Yellow Tip (light green becoming 

 yellow at maturity). 



SUMMARY 



These scattering instances of bud 

 variations may be briefly summarized 

 as follows : 



Bud variations in the sugar cane are 

 quite common and have been recorded 

 in Louisiana, the West Indies, Mauri- 

 tius, Hawaii and Australia. 



The difference between mother plants 

 and sports is often as great as between 

 recognized varieties. 



Bud varieties have been noticed as — 



1. Differently colored side shoots 

 from one cane. 



2. Dilleienlly colored canes in one 

 stool growing from a single piece of 

 planted cane. 



3. A stalk with some joints striped 

 and some unstriped. 



4. Strains showing differences in 

 hardiness. 



5. Strains showing differences in 

 sugar content. 



Plants grown from cuttings of the 

 bud sports tend to reproduce true to 

 the character of the sports. 



Better Dairying by Bull Associations — Joint Use of Good Sires Improves Herds^ 



Dairymen who would like to use 

 pure-bred bulls to improve their herds 

 but who cannot afford to purchase such 

 animals should investigate the advan- 

 tages of a cooperative bull association. 



These organizations are formed by 

 farmers for the joint ownership, use, 

 and exchange of pure-bred bulls. The 

 purchase price and cost of maintenance 

 are distributed according to the number 

 of cows owned by each member, thereby 

 giving the dairyman an opportunity to 

 build up his herd at a minimum ex- 

 pense. The organization also helps its 

 members to market dairy stock and 

 daily products, to fight contagious dis- 

 eases of cattle intelligently, and in other 

 ways to assist in improving the dairy 

 industry. Farmers' Bulletin 993, re- 

 cently issued by the United States De- 

 partment of Agriculture, gives direc- 

 tions for the organization and operation 

 of bull organizations, together with con- 

 stitution and by-laws necessary for such 

 an organization. 



The typical cooperative bull associa- 

 tion, as recommended by the dairy spe- 

 cialists of the department, is composed 

 of from fifteen to thirty farmers who 

 jointly own five bulls. The territory in 

 which these farmers live is divided into 

 five "breeding blocks," one bull being 

 assigned to each block. 



In a survey conducted by the depart- 



ment on 1,219 farms in eight districts 

 in Iowa, Minnesota, and Massachusetts, 

 in which there were no associations, it 

 was found that there were 817 bulls, 

 having an average value of $76. Had 

 the owners of these cheap bulls been 

 properly organized, the same invest- 

 ment would have purchased the neces- 

 sary bulls of an average value of $283. 

 In one association having more than 100 

 members the original cost of good pure- 

 bred bulls to each member was only $23. 

 When questioned regarding the value 

 of cooperative bull associations, 150 

 farmers in Maryland, Michigan and 

 Minnesota estimated that the use of 

 bulls belonging to the organization in- 

 creased the value of the offspring in 

 the first generation from 30% to 80%, 

 with an average of 65%. 



SUCCESS DEMANDS CARE 



The selection of the bulls for an 

 association is one of the most impor- 

 tant considerations. A good pure-bred 

 bull will make rapid and marked im- 

 provement in the herds, and the asso- 

 ciation interest increases in proportion 

 to the improvement obtained. If a poor 

 dairy bull is used, the milk production 

 of the members' herds is sometimes re- 

 duced, the interest is lessened, and these 

 conditions may lead to the breaking up 

 of the association. 



'Weekly News Letter, U. S. Department of Agriculture. 



