80 HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK. 



MODE OF CULTIVATION. 



Until about thirteen years ago the sugar cane was entirely propagated 

 by cuttings or slips. There are buds, with sleeping roots, arranged alternately 

 at each node. These render propagation by cuttings simple and effective. 

 Generally the top joints only are selected, but sometimes the whole cane is 

 laid in a trench and buried. The canes may be grown in isolated clumps or 

 stools, about five to six feet apart each way, or continuously in furrows. The 

 period of growth, depending on the climate, may be limited, as in Louisiana, 

 to eight months ; or extended, as in the West Indies, to twelve or even six- 

 teen months. 



IMPROVED VARIETIES. 



The problem to be solved in behalf of the sugar cane planter, briefly 

 stated, is to raise strains or breeds of canes that will give more sugar per 

 acre than is at present yielded by standard varieties, such as the White 

 Transparent and other sorts. This may be accomplished (1) by an increase 

 in the weight of cane produced per acre, either by obtaining larger individual 

 canes, or by a larger number of canes in each stool; (2) by an increase in the 

 amount of sucrose in the juice with a reduction in the percentage of glucose 

 and other impurities; (3) by freedom of the canes from the attacks of fungoid 

 and insect pests. 



The search for improved varieties has been carried on as follows: (a) 

 by the introduction and experimental cultivation of selected canes from other 

 countries; (b) by the experimental cultivation of canes (sports) arising from 

 bud variation ; (c) by the chemical selection of tops from individual canes or 

 from stools exhibiting a high sucrose value; (d) by raising new varieties by 

 cross-fertilization and selection. 



QUALITIES OF IMPROVED CANES. 



Before proceeding to describe what has been attempted under each of the 

 heads above stated, it is desirable to mention that owing to the special cir- 

 cumstances existing in tropical countries a new variety of cane in order to be 

 completely satisfactory is required to possess, in a high degree, a large number 

 of qualities. 



■ The following are the more important field and factory characters, a con- 

 sideration of which goes to determine the ultimate industrial value of any 

 variety of cane : 



Field Cliaractcrs: (1) Sprouting power of bud, and ability of cane to 

 establish itself soon after planting; (2) behavior and adaptability under ex- 

 treme conditions of dryness and moisture; (3) habit of cane, whether upright 

 or recumbent; (4) power of resisting the attacks of insect or fungoid pests; 

 (5) early maturity; (6) productive power estimated by the number of tons 

 of cane yielded per acre; (7) weight and character of tops for fodder pur- 

 poses; (8) readiness to produce successive crops from the same stools, that 

 is "rattooning" power. 



Factory Characters: (1) The milling qualities of the cane, whether tough 

 or brittle, when presented for crushing; (2) fuel-producing properties depends 

 on amount of fibre (sometimes the fibre is the only fuel available to boil the 

 juice) ; (3) the relative percentage of expressible juice (determining the 



