THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE SUGAR-CANE BY HYBRIDISATION. 323 
QUEENSLAND. 
The raising of cane seedlings has received some attention in 
Queensland, as reports to hand state that nine seedlings were obtained 
from arrows collected in 1889 and five from those collected in 1891. 
One of these earlier seedlings has. given a white sport, referred to 
previously, which has proved to be the best of all the seedling varieties. 
In 1900 a selection of West Indian seedling canes was imported, with 
the result that last year, at Wellington Point, some gave analyses which 
compared very favourably with the home seedlings, while the information 
gathered from the latest reports confirms the value of B. 208 (Barbados 
No. 208) as a cane for cultivation in Queensland. (See fig. p. 331.) 
In 1901 there were obtained by the Queensland Acclimatisation 
Society 700 seedlings, of which 300 were approved plants, and, in 1903, 
170 plants were selected out of 500. 
In 1904 experiments in artificial cross-pollination were undertaken, 
and four hybrids were obtained. These were the results of a cross 
between B. 208 as seed-bearing parent and Striped Singapore as pollen- 
bearing parent. This shows that hybridisation is possible, and instructive 
results are expected to follow. 
The following will show that seedlings are giving satisfactory results 
in Queensland :—In 1903 only one cane gave over 19 per cent. possible 
obtainable cane sugar, whereas in 1904 six exceeded this amount. How 
much this had to do with the season cannot be stated definitely, but it 
seems to point to the fact that in Queensland, as elsewhere, seedling canes 
may gradually supplant the older varieties. 
Grimley states that B. 208 on one estate gave a ‘“‘ return of 69 tons 
6 cwt. of cane per acre with 22°2 per cent. of sucrose, and Brix 28°09, or 
21°45 per cent. of possible obtainable cane sugar, or over 14 tons to the 
acre. These results were obtained under irrigation, and the experiment 
plot was well manured. The average yield in Queensland per acre for 
the last seven years was 13°16 tons, so that B. 208 gave more sugar per 
acre than the average tons of cane per acre in Queensland.” !” " 
HAWAII. 
With the establishment of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters’ Association, 
the propagation of new varieties of canes, which are resistant to disease, 
and at the same time good sugar-producers, was considered to be of 
paramount importance. 
In the season 1904-5 no young canes were obtained from the home- 
grown seed; but large numbers of seedlings were obtained from seed 
introduced from Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad. In all 279 seedling 
canes were obtained and planted out; 93 of these were cut up and 
replanted as cuttings, while the rest were allowed to remain to flower, 
when it was hoped that a considerable quantity of fertile seed would 
be obtained. 
Artificial cross-pollination experiments were conducted last season, 
but so far the results are not known to the authors of this paper. 
The introduction of foreign varieties is largely practised, seedlings 
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