100 STUDIES TX TXDTAX SlTOARf'AXE SEEBT.TXfiS 



to otlier faiius. It thus takes three years before a seedlijicr can be distributed, 

 but it is advisable to test it for two or three years more before doing so. The 

 caiie seedliiiiis should thus ])v aUowed to grow on the faiin for at least five 

 years, before they are ready foi' distribution and testing in s])ec-ial localities. 

 The vitality of the seedlings of different parentage has been found to varv 

 a good deal. In some cases, such as " Jam " from Bangalore, the fertility 

 of the arrows appears to be very great, but the seedlings are so delicate that 

 they die in tliousands wlien very young, and comparatively few can be giowTi 

 to matuiity. In others, such as Pooran (Coimbatore) and Fiji C. their later 

 growth is weak, and the plots at crop time are mostly bare. Other varieties, 

 such as Soretha (Meerut and Aligarh), produce perfectly healthy seedlings 

 and ))ra( tically any luimber can be raised. The seedlings obtainrd ])v crossing 

 cultivated canes with wild grasses {ShahncJn/nia, Chin, Saretha by Sacchantin 

 sponhinriim and Vellai by Saccharin)) Naroif/a) are chaiacterizcd bv excessive 

 vigour. Their sucrose content is, of course, low, being halfwa\- between that 

 of the ])aients. They flowei' freely but. in most cases, the antheis are 

 persistently closed. By crossing the best of them (witli K3-1G% sucrose in 

 the juic<') with thick canes it is hoped that the way may be o])ened for 

 producing new good canes, presumably of very hardy nature, with wihl blood 

 in their veins. This will de])end, liowever. on the fcutilitv of their female 

 oi'gans. there being sonu^ fear that tlie flowers mav be altogether steiile in 

 these hybrids. 



An enumeration of the various seedlings obtained each year is given in 

 tables, together with notes as to anthesis, parentage and ultimate fate. There 

 has been a good deal of variation in the parentage each yvav. owing to the ])aiti- 

 cular canes flowering. The ideal constantly aimed at is to obtain crosses 

 between the various North Indian canes and thicker, better, tropical oiies. A\ith 

 the object of producing varieties ( apable of being grown in North India under 

 rvots' conditions. Success in this respect is de])endent on sinndtaiu^ous 

 flowering of the desired parents and thus far, there have been very few cases 

 of this. The current (1915) flowering season, however, promises very well as 

 a large number of indigenous canes and introduced tropical ones are flowering 

 together on the farm. .Most of the former have infertile stamens which is a 

 furthcu- augury of ultimate success. 



The sucrose content of the seedlings has steadily increaserl duiing the 

 past three veais. as can be seen from the table on ]>. 102. During tlu^ current 

 harvesting season, the sucrose in many seedlings has been vciy high, and 

 about 250 which have j)roduccd over 18% of sucrose, having been selected 



