IMPROVEMENT OF THE SUGAR CANE. 93 
the relative values of the more important of the old 
varieties of the sugar cane are very similar, the Bourbon 
being the best, and being somewhat closely followed by 
the White Transparent, whilst in Antigua, where the 
annual rainfall is much lower than in either of the former 
colonies, as might be expeéted, the hardier varieties 
have given distin€tly better results than the Bourbon. 
As far as the West Indian Colonies go, experiments with 
the older varieties of canes have not resulted in finding 
a more produ€tive variety, on an average of years, than 
the Bourbon, But these experiments have not been 
wasted; they have served to point out that over a series 
of years the Bourbon in its yield is not so far ahead of 
the White Transparent as we were inclined to expeét, 
and that the White Transparent is a far hardier cane and 
one more resistent to attacks of inseét and fungoid pests 
than the Bourbon. In this colony I am quite satisfied 
that on many estates considerable advantages might be 
gained by the substitution of the White Transparent for 
the Bourbon on certain of the lighter soils aback, where 
the latter variety does not ratoon well. 
Somewhat common in our cane fields is the Green 
Ribbon. I have been frequently struck here with the 
robust growth of stools of this cane amid Bourbon canes, 
and I am of opinion that it would be worth while for 
some planters to pick out canes of this variety and to 
grow a few acres of it for experimental purposes, It is 
a cane with an excellent record under the name of Green 
Rose Ribbon in the Australian colonies, 
It is worthy of note that in the fifties M. ROST VAN 
TONNINGEN of Java, in treating about varieties of sugar 
cane arrived at the following four propositions which, in 
