THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE SUGAR-CANE BY HYBRIDISATION. 317 
The fact that the anthers are versatile and the stigmatic plumes 
feathery would lead to the conclusion that the sugar-cane, like the 
majority of the grasses, is naturally wind-pollinated; for when the 
versatile anthers burst the pollen is much more easily scattered by the 
wind than would be the case if they were firmly fixed; it is also the 
more easily caught by the feathery stigmata. This is a point which is 
still under investigation, and is one of considerable importance in the 
work of hybridisation. 
METHODS OF OBTAINING SEEDLINGS. 
In some countries, the earliest method adopted for obtaining seedling 
canes was by a collection of fertile seeds or casually produced seedlings 
from the fields. 
A later step was the identity of the seedlings from the seed-bearing 
parent. This method was the one early adopted by Harrison and Jenman 
in British Guiana. The cane from which the arrow was taken was care- 
fully recorded, and thence commenced a stock of new varieties of canes 
with the parentage known on one side only. 
A further stage was the raising of seedlings from two varieties of 
canes, by planting in adjoining rows varieties known to arrow at the same 
time. By this means there was a possibility that the pollen-bearing 
parent might be identified as well as the seed-bearing parent. 
Thousands of seedlings have been raised in this way, but, although 
the seed-bearing parent was known and registered, the pollen-bearing 
parent was still uncertain. In consequence, a large majority of the 
seedlings were found to be less valuable than the seed-bearing parent 
originally selected. In many cases, however, it was evident that the 
resulting seedling canes were true hybrids. These hybrids, when they 
possessed a vigorous habit and a high saccharine content, were carefully 
propagated and subjected to a rigorous system of selection. 
The fixing of good varieties was rendered more easy, as plants raised 
from cuttings come true to the parent forms and do not necessitate 
additional selection year after year. After these seedlings had been 
sufficiently investigated to warrant recommendation to the planters, they 
were gradually introduced into general cultivation, and have proved the 
means of overcoming to a considerable extent the ravages of disease, as 
many were hardier than their parent forms. 
Through the uncertainty of the results of the above-mentioned 
methods of what may be called natural or chance hybridisation, it was 
considered advisable to conduct hybridisation under control, and by this 
means it was hoped to combine some of the desirable characters of 
both parents and therefore produce pedigree canes, which could be 
recommended for general cultivation. 
In 1900 d’Albuquerque at the second West Indian Agricultural 
Conference, after discussing methods of securing natural hybridisation, 
which, however, did not ensure against the risk of pollen coming from 
an unknown source, recommended an artificial method of securing cross- 
pollination, e.g. “to bag each arrow under experiment some time before 
it is ripe, and when the arrows in the bags are ripe to shake the contents 
of the bags of one variety into the bags covering the arrows of another, 
