124 STUDIES IN INDIAN SUGARCANE SEEDLINGS 



unexpected for, as lia.s been stated above, these varieties are closely related, 

 and this could have hardly been the case with so marked a dift'erence in 

 fertility. There is no apparent reason for these seasonal divei-gences, and the 

 only explanation available is that the arrows might have been of different 

 age or influenced by the state of weather when pollination tof)k place. 



Of the arrows received from Bangaloi-e, those of Ashtj Mauriiias and 

 t^lriped Mauritius produced fair results and White Mmcritins good ones. It 

 is reported that a large )uiniber of seedlings have been obtained at Bangalore 

 from the latter cane, yielding a very high ijercentagc of sucrose in the juice, 

 and it is all the more to be regretted that this variety is said to have died out 

 there during the season. A miniber of arrows of Java and B 208 were received 

 from Bangalore and these proved very fertile, B 20S giving well over 100 

 seedlings and Java the surprising number of 700. |)er pan. But the lack of 

 vitality proved to be so great that only 200 seedlings could be planted from 

 B 208 and 400 from Java. 



To the same category of canes with fertile arrows but with seedlings 

 unable to withstand the earlier stages, Red Mauritimi appeal's to belong. 

 From this variety 1.000 seedlings were raised in one pan. of wliicli only 7 

 could be jDlanted out. The other canes flowering in the Cential Faim were 

 Stn'jjed Mauritius, Red Sport of Striped Mauritius, Fiji C and Fiji B ; these 

 were not very fertile, but most of the seedlings laised were subsequently 

 planted out in the held. 



Besides Java and Red Mauritius, two other varieties have been found of 

 which it is difhcult to obtain seetllings, namely Poovan. and Fiji C. But the 

 course of events a})pearsto be different irom Java in these canes, for the 

 .seedlings grew fairly well until planted out in the held, then Ix^-ame light 

 coloured and weak, and few have succeeded well enough in the plots to be 

 worth analysing (r/. pi. XllI). The Red Mauritius and Fiji Caeedlin^H were 

 from selfed arrows, while Poovan, although growing mixed with the other 

 local canes, flowers at a slightly difl'ei-eiit time and iis seedlings a ic also 

 probably usually selfed. 



Besides the seedlings mentioned in the table, a large number were obtained 

 by selfing and crossing such of the Madras seedlings of 1912-J4 as flowered, 

 but these were chiefly such as had Saccharmn spontanemn blood in them and 

 their agricultural value was .so poor 1 hat tlu'V have not been included in the 

 list. The crosses Ix'tween the North Indian canes Shakarclnjnia and (7////. and 

 Sacckaru ni sfunitaveiini , in the 1912-14 ])eriod, flowered early and abundantly, 

 as seems to be the case with all seedliiiL's with the blood of wild .Saceharums 



