76 LUTHER BURBANK 



If it is to hold its own, it must be developed to 

 its full possibilities of productivity. 



Doubtless it will be possible to develop races 

 of sugar cane having greatly increased size of 

 stalk, and having also a higher percentage of 

 sugar in a given quantity of pulp. In attempt- 

 ing such developments, the experimenters are 

 merely bringing the sugar cane industry into line 

 with the other great plant industries, most of 

 which were neglected by the scientific plant de 

 veloper until very recent years. 



My own experiments with the cane have not 

 extended beyond the greenhouse, but I have 

 found that the seed germinates readily there, 

 although only a few seeds out of a handful may 

 grow; the contrast in this regard being very 

 striking with the seed of the allied Pampas 

 grass, which is as diminutive as that of the 

 sugar cane and not dissimilar in appearance, 

 but which germinates promptly almost to the 

 last seed. 



ALLIES OF THE SUGAR CANE 



I have experimented more extensively with 

 certain relatives of the sugar cane of the tribe of 

 sorghums. 



This includes not only the sorghums that 

 produce the sirups, but also broom corn, Kaffir 



