STUDIES IN INDIAN SUGARCANES, NO. 4. 

 TILLERING OR UNDERGROUND BRANCHING. 



BY 



C. A. BARBER, C.I.E., Sc.D. (Cantab.), F.L.S., 



Government Sugarcane Expert, Madras. 



[Received for publication on 18th August, 1918.] 



INTRODUCTION. 



The present research dates back to observations made in 1913, which 

 showed that, in certain Punjab sugarcane varieties, there were differences in 

 the canes growing in the same clump. ^ These were found to be early and late 

 in origin, the former being thin and long, with short joints at the base, and the 

 latter thicker and shorter and commencing with much longer joints. A certain 

 number of dissections had been made of the underground, branching portion 

 of cane seedlings and wild Saccharums, and it was decided to commence a 

 systematic study of this part of the cane plant in the field, in order clearly to 

 demonstrate the true relations of the differing canes in each clump. As addi- 

 tional points of interest, referred to below, presented themselves, the series 

 was greatly extended, and during the past two years a very large number of 

 cane stools have been carefully studied (c/. list on pp. 99 and 100). 



For a proper understanding of the branching system of any plant, it is 

 necessary to follow it from its earliest stages, and a study has accordingly 



1 Barber, C. A. Studies in Indian Sugarcanes, No. 1 : Punjab canes, ilati. Dep- Agri-, 

 Ind., Bot. Ser.,\Q\. VII, No. 1, May, 1915. This Memoir will in future be referred to as 

 Mem. I. A see md paper by the same author, Studies in Indian Sugarcanes, No. 2 : Sugarcane 

 seedlings, etc.. Vol. VIII, No. 3, in the same series, will be referred to as Mem. II, while a 

 third. Studies in Indian Sugarcanes, No. 3: Classification of Indian canes with special 

 reference to Saretha and Sunnabile classes, will be referred to as Mem. III. 



