C. A. BARBER .137 



Boofhan parent) was, however, markedly oblique. There is some doubt as to 

 the parentage of the seedlings collected at Coimbatore during that year., 

 and this seedling differs a good deal from the Kaludai Boothan seedlings of 

 1912-14. It lias now been carefully studied for some years and certain facts 

 noted. Ill the first place, in it and the cases cited below, obliqueness tends to 

 increase \^hen the seedling is propagated by sets in the second year (c/. Plate 

 XXIII). Secondly, of 100 selfed seedlings of Madras No. 2, only four show 

 any trace of erectness, the rest being practically prostrate. Thirdly, when 

 these seediings were examined before planting out, there was little trace of the 

 prostrate habit, owing doubtless to their being planted in pots and placed close 

 together in the irrigating trenches. This is one of the directions in which 

 the new system of saving labour in irrigating potted seedlings has worked 

 badly, namely, in hiding the true character of the seedling (c/. p. 149). 



Among Indian canes, Naanal is generally characterized by erect yoiing 

 shoots. Bui, among the seedlings raised in 1912-14, a great number 

 showed a more or less depressed habit, possibly another reason for assuming 

 that these seedlings were not pure Naanal. In Pamahi, although the mature 

 plants are stiikingly erect, there is a good deal of obliqueness in the young 

 shoots, and this is reproduced in the seedlings, many of which show oblique or 

 even prostrate shoots (c/. Plate I). Chynia, another member of the same class 

 of North Indian canes, has young shoots which are practically erect and. 

 although the seedlings are less oblique than in Paiisahi, there are some -uhich 

 show depression. Saretha has very oblique young shoots and the seedlings 

 are rarelj' erect, most of the 1,200 examined in 1914-16 being more or less 

 oblique and many actually prostrate, and the same applies to Chin and its 

 seedlings planted out in the same year (c/. Plate XIX). A special form of 

 oblique shoots has been met with in these two varieties which is most striking. 

 The first, oldest shoot, arising with slight obliquity, subsequently curves 

 outwards j)nd downwards and becomes very depressed, while subsequent shoots 

 may be more or less erect. This peculiar habit is shown in Saretha seedling's 

 in Plate XX (5 J montlis old) and is there contrasted with some of the rare 

 erect seedlings. 



It is interesting to note that the growth of Saccharmn sfonianewn 

 resembles that of Chin and Saretha in many respects, including obliqueness and 

 the characteristic outer, ascending shoots. Some of its seedlings have very 

 oblique young shoots and one of them grown on from cuttings has become 

 practically flat on the ground (Plate XXI). Crosses between Sacchantm 

 sfontaneum and Chin and Shakarchynia (the latter a strict, erect cane from 



