106 STUDIES IN INDIAN SUGARCANK SEEDLINGS 



ine;tsiiit'inents, and the wliolo imniber anaiio;od in a series of classes of increas- 

 ing leaf width, conimencin*: with the narrowest and proceeding to the widest. 

 Opposite to these must then be })laced the sucrose percentage in the juice of 

 each seedling and averages stiuck for each class (rf. p. 167). By a comparison 

 of these averages, it will be ])()ssible to determine whether there is a gradual 

 increase or decrease in the richness of the juice along the series, and thus to 

 establish a positive or negative correlation between sucrcse percentage and leaf 

 width. As a matter of fact, such a conelation appears to exist, as will be 

 detail'^d latei-, in that the narrow-leafed seedlings of any one batch with 

 common parentage liave richer juice than the broad-leafed, that is, there 

 is a negative correlation between width of leaf and sucrose in the juice. 

 Secondly, we shall have to hark back and see how far the correlated characters 

 of mature seedlings can be traced into their early stages, how far down 

 the life-history of the individual we may be able to foretell the mature 

 characters. 



An attempt has been made in the concluding section of this ])a])er to deal 

 with the first part of the problem, and it is believed that certain correlations 

 have been detected between the external appearance of the seedling at crop 

 time and the richness of the juice. These results are based chiefly on a study 

 of the seedlings analysed during 1934, certain characters having been recorded 

 at crop time according to a detailed plan, drawn up after the study of the main 

 difTerences in the groups of indigenous canes in India. The characters dealt 

 with in this paper are chiefly (piantitative, that is measurements of different 

 kinds. The qualitative characters are, in the sugarcane, much more difficult 

 to observe, but they will be attacked in due course as data accumulate. 



A considerable space is given in the present paper to the study of the 

 chemical analysis of the juice of the seedlings. The foHowing is an enu- 

 meration of the number of com])lete analyses of juice of seedlings and varieties 

 made on the Cane-breeding Station during the last three years :— 1913, 92 ; 

 1914. 2,099; 1915, 4,005. There is one chemical assistant attached to the 

 office of the Government Sugarcane Expert, and, as most of these analyses 

 are made during four or five months of the year, it is obvious that he 

 is ((uite unable to cope with the work. By a rearrangement of the planting 

 jU'ogramme, the analyses of seedlings and varieties of canes will be spread 

 out. so that the analyses of the formei' will be made mostly after the 

 varieties have been finished. But, even then, the great pressure of work 

 at the time of harvesting the seedlings necessitates assistance from outside, 

 and this has been generously sujDplied by Dr. Harrison, the Ooverniuent 



