108 STUDIES IN INDIAN SUGARCANE SEEDLINGS 



The present coiitributioii to the study of sugarcane seedlings in India is' 

 divided into four sections, and it has been found convenient to iiiteicalate 

 summaries of the work in various directions carried out on the Cane-breeding 

 Station during its first three years. The first section deals with the material 

 available, and contains an enumeration of the seedlings thus far raised, w itli 

 notes as to the chief difficulties encountered and the means by which these 

 have been overcome. The second discusses the differences noted in the youthful 

 characters of the seedlings before planting out and at maturity. The next 

 section treats of the mode of analysis adopted and the variations in the juice 

 of the seedlings as regards sucrose content, and the last sunnnarizes the corre- 

 lations thus far studied between the characters of mature seedlings and the 

 amount of sucrose in the juice. Because of the introduction of results of 

 smaller detached pieces of work at various points in the course of the narrative, 

 it has been considered advisable to append a summary of these at the end of 

 the paper. This sunnnary is not intended to be exhaustive, but deals chiefly 

 with minor matters which might otherwise be lost sight of. I wish to record 

 tjic fact that I have been greatly helped throughout by the enthusiasm of 

 various members of my staff, and that the carrying out of nuich of the work 

 described has fallen to their lot. I would especially mention my indebtedness to 

 my First Assistant, M. R. Ry., T. S. Venkataraman, who has, throughout, helped 

 me with observations, criticisms and willing work, and to Fieldman R. Thomas 

 to whom has been entrusted tlie (h^licate work of marking down and bagging 

 the arrows, and raising the seedlings until they were fit for planting in the field. 

 The latter has also greatly assisted me in my observations on the variations 

 in young seedlings. The chemical analyses, other than those dotie by Dr. 

 Harrison's assistants, are the work of my Chemical Assistant, M. R. Ry., K. 

 Krishnamurti Rao. 



