IMPROVEMENT of THE SUGAR CANE. s 



results equally favorable to the black soil results. Ratoons. This variety 

 stood third in yield and gives saccharose 5,559 pounds, the juice being remark- 

 ably rich and pure. 



This is the more promising selected variety under experimental cultiva- 

 tion this year, and deserves careful trial to the extent of a few acres on every 

 estate. 



Black Soils (plants and ratoons). 



Highest yield, pounds saccharose per acre 11,298 



Lowest yield, pounds saccharose per acre (mean of 2 plots) 5,492 



Mean yield, pounds saccharose per acre (all plots) 7,766 



Red Soils (plants and ratoons). 



Highest yield, pounds saccharose per acre (mean of two plots) 8,336 



Lowest yield, pounds saccharose per acre (mean of two plots) 4,369 



Mean yield, pounds saccharose per acre (all plots) 6,623 



Ratoons (red and black soils). 



Highest yield, pounds saccharose per acre (mean of two plots) 6,728 



Lowest yield, pounds saccharose per acre (mean of two plots) 4,369 



Mean yield, pounds saccharose per acre (all plots) 5,559 



Experimental samples of juice results of 21 samples. 

 Saccharose Ib. per gallon Highest, 2.451 ; lowest, 2.028 ; mean, 2.254. 

 Quotient of purity Highest, 93.98 ; lowest, 83.08 ; mean, 90.30. 

 Glucose ratio Highest, 6.03; lowest, 1.35; mean, 3.11. 



This seedling cane has yielded equally promising results in 1901-1902 at 

 Barbados as well as at Antigua and St. Kitts under Watts, Shepherd and 

 Lunt, and on a limited scale under Hart at Trinidad. The important experi- 

 ments carried on by Harrison and Jenman for many years at British Guinea, 

 and now entirely under the control of Harrison, are expected to yield results 

 of great value to that colony. 



It is impossible to omit a reference here to the experiments carried on 

 with seedling canes at Java. The following is a summary of recent reports 

 on the subject issued by Kobus at the East Java Sugar Experiment Station: 



IMPROVED SEEDLING CANES AT JAVA. 



In 1894 Dr. J. H. Walker, then Director of the East Java Sugar Experi- 

 ment Station, found that the Cheribon cane bears infertile pollen while the 

 ovary is normal. Consequently any fertile seeds formed by this cane are the 

 result of cross fertilization by the pollen of another variety of cane, and the 

 give rise to hybrid plants. About this time the new seedling canes raised 

 were only those of well-known mother canes, e. g., of the Cheribon. The 

 Cheribon in Java, like the Bourbon is the West Indies, is a cane with rich 

 and abundant juice and is therefore valuable as a sugar producer. Unfor- 

 tunately, like the Bourbon, it is also liable to disease. 



Soon after Wakker's discovery, Dr. Kobus, the present Director of the 

 East Java Sugar Experiment Station, suggested the crossing of the Cheribon 

 with certain of the East Indian canes, imported by the Java Government from 

 British India, so as to raise seedlings from the former cane crossed by the 

 latter, some of which would probably combine the good qualities of the Cheri- 

 bon with the disease-resisting power of the East Indian canes. Experiments 

 at this station were set on foot to cross the Cheribon with the Chunnee variety 



