96 TIMEHRI. 
The sudden change of climate, soil and other circum- 
stances cause them to be thrown off.” 
The weak point in the account lies in the statement’ 
that ‘‘ they are mostly obtained from new canes recently 
introduced.” Several instances have been found in the 
Botanic Gardens here and also elsewhere, where among 
canes springing from cuttings of yarieties recently 
introduced, canes havs been found differing from the 
bulk and an enthusiastic but superficial observer could 
easily have considered these to be bud variations. But 
almost without exception, when these were cultivated 
separately, they were proved to be other well-known, 
and in many cases, common varieties. 
The next account of the reported occurrence of bud 
-sports occurs in a paper read by Mr. MELMOTH HALE 
at a meeting of the Agricultural Society of New South 
Wales in either 1873 or 1874.* In describing what is 
probably the Red Ribbon Cane he said :— 
“] have reason to think that it is only a sport from 
the Otaheite cane or Vaihi, to which, in all regpeéts but 
the colour of the cane it bears a strong resemblance. In 
support of this opinion I must state that I have, in one 
instance, seen no less than three distin& canes springing 
from one stool of the ribbon variety—one entirely yellow, 
another entirely green, the others being the usual ribbon 
canes, while from other stools in the same field I found 
canes either of a uniform green, purple or purplish brown, 
all the rest springing from the same ribbon cane root 
being striped in the customary way. The cuttings from 
these sports perpetuate the variety and have usually 
some distin€tive properties such as rapidity of growth 
* Sugar Cane Vol, vi. p. 524. 
eS eo 
