C. A. BARBER 



127 



extremely short-lived. A collection was made of seeds of Madras seedlings 

 2 and 6, B 208, Java, Sfrij^cd Mauritius and Saretha, from the 14th December 

 1914 to the 5th January 1915; and equal quantities of powdered arrows were 

 sown on the first of each succeeding month. The results shown in the table 

 are interesting, as it is evident that, with proper care, cane seed retains its 

 vitality for a considerable time. 



Vitalitij of fin gar cane Seed. 



A study of the table containing details of the seedlings raised during the 

 1914 arrowing season shows a very considerable change in the selection of 

 parents. In 'the first place, it was assumed from previous experience that 

 the quality of the parents' juice is largely transmitted to the offspring, and an 

 effort was made to obtain as many seedlings as possible of the best canes 

 growing in the various farms. Over 9,000 seedlings were obtained from B 208, 

 Java, Strij)ed Mauritius, Ashy Mauritius and Fiji C and, of these, more than 

 1,600 have been selected for planting out. The local kinds, Karun, Chittan 

 and Kaludai Boothan were comparatively neglected, and no collections vrere 

 made from villages around, as these canes were flowering in the arrowing plots 

 on the station. The results from these arrows were, however, very poor as 

 regards germination and only 50 seedlings were planted out. On the other 

 hand, advantage was taken of the flowering of North Indian canes, and a very 

 large number of seedlings were obtained of Saretha. Over 1,100 seedlings 

 derived from North Indian canes were planted out, chiefly of Saretha, Chin 

 and Pansahi. One hundred seedlings were also planted out of Madras Selfed 

 Seedling No. 2 {Kaludai Boothan parent), for the special study of the depressed 

 habit which characterizes this seedling, as well as most of those obtained from 

 indigenous canes in India. 



