The following paper was read by D. ^Morris: 



IMPROVEMENT OF THE SUGAR CANE BY SELECTION 

 AND CROSS FERTILIZATION 



Sir Daniel Morris, K. C. M. G„ M. A., D. Sc, F. L. S., Imperial Commissioner of 

 Agriculture for tiie West Indies. 



The consideration of the improvement of the tropical sugar cane is in 

 some respects out of the line of the majority of the subjects presented at this 

 Conference. It may be convenient, therefore, to afiford some information in 

 respect to the conditions under which the cultivation of the cane is carried 

 on in the West Indies and elsewhere. 



The sugar cane is a tall-growing grass with a solid stem, containing a 

 sweet juice. Its original home is unknown, but probably it was native of 

 some parts of the East Indies and the islands of Polynesia. It is now believed 

 to be found nowhere in a wild state. It was introduced from the East, by 

 the way of the Mediterranean, to the Canary Islands, and thence to the New 

 World. It was largely planted in Brazil, and about 1640 it was introduced to 

 Barbados. The descendants of the original canes are probably still to be 

 found in some parts of the West Indies. 



In the latter part of the eighteenth century a ship was commissioned by 

 King George III. and sent to the Pacific (South Sea) Islands to collect and 

 convey to the West Indies sugar cane and other economic plants. These 

 were afterwards established at St. Vincent and Jamaica. By this means what 

 are known as the Otaheite and Bourbon canes were successfully introduced to 

 cultivation. These, and various forms that have arisen from them, have since 

 been adopted as the standard canes in most of the sugar-cane countries in 

 the New World. 



VARIETIES OF CANE. 



The chief varieties now under cultivation may be broadly grouped as fol- 

 lows : (1) Otaheite, known also as Bourbon, Loucier, Lahaina, Bamboo, 

 China; (2) White Transparent, known also as Caledonian Queen, Rappoe, 

 Cheribon (Java), Crystallina (Cuba), Light Purple, Rose Bamboo; (3) Red 

 Ribbon, known also as Mexican striped, Batavian striped, and striped Singa- 

 pore. There are, besides dark purple canes, such as Queensland Creole, Black 

 Java, Louisiana purple. Purple transparent. 



The mode of origin of most of these is now impossible to trace. They 

 have probably arisen from bud variations or from chance seedlings that 

 attracted the attention of planters and preserved on account of their greater 

 vigor and adaptability to environment. 



