106 PERtODIClTY IN THE GROWTH OF SUGARCANE 



in South India. As it is probable that most of the cane varieties now under 

 consideration would do worse in Pusa than in South India, its comparatively 

 good Mungo gives it a more favourable position than it deserves. And, in 

 the general summation, such cases have to be considered. 



Again, in comparing the growth of different varieties, we have to consider 

 the general character of growth at the place where they are observed. Certain 

 varieties are better suited to certain places, and it is part of the object of this 

 study to determine what kinds grow best in each locality. Taliparamba, for 

 instance, is characterized by the formation of many, longish joints, and long 

 canes of moderate thickness; Nagpur has few joints of great h ngth, but 

 these are thin and the leaves are narrow ; Partabgarh develops all parts poorly, 

 excepting the thickness of the stem and width of leaf, and so on. It thus 

 becomes important to take into consideration the range of places from which 

 unit observations have been taken, in comparing the relative growth of the 

 organs of different varieties. 



Due allowance must be made for the character of the season and the 

 piece of land used during any year. This is not usually possible or necessary, 

 but some extreme cases have occurred, showing that the influence of these 

 factors cannot always be neglected. The most striking instance of this is in 

 the two sets of observations made at Samalkota in successive years. The 

 curves of length of joints in these two years differ so much that they might 

 well have been obtained from two different places, and they bear the impress 

 of the season during which they grow so strongly that a separate section is 

 devoted, later on, to their study. The difference in the plots of land in two 

 years at the Cane-breeding Station is also clearly reflected in the series of 

 measurements obtained, as has been fully detailed in the Memoir mentioned 

 above. These differences in successive years make it all the more necessary 

 that the observations should be extended over several years at each place. 

 It will be seen, from a reference to the table of observation units, that th*e 

 are a number of cases where only one observation has been made, and in such 

 cases the results should be regarded as more or less tentative and to require 

 checking by further observations. 



The time during which the observed crop has been in the ground has, 

 naturally, a very considerable influence on the relative growth which takes 

 place, and this is emphasized by the fact that early growth is more energetic 

 than that taking place later on. The period of growth has been carefully 

 allowed for, in that various measurements in length, have been divided by the 

 number of months which have elapsed between the dates of planing and 

 examination. Generally speaking, the plots have been examined earlier iu 



