100 TIMEHRI. 
its foregeners, if in the Sugar Cane for November last 
Mr, BARBER, late Direétor of Agriculture in the Leeward 
Islands, in an article entitled “ Graft-hybrids of the 
Sugar Cane,” after stating that pratical planters “ appear 
to have dismissed the matter rather unceremoniously as 
altogether unscientific” had not gone on to say “ The 
method does not appear to have had adequate trial during 
recent years at the experimental sugar stations, and there 
are circumstances which would warrant more atten- 
tion being paid to the process in sugar growing colo- 
nies.” He then quoted a hitherto unpublished letter 
from the late CHARLES DARWIN to G. T. ROMANES 
dated January ist 1881, relating to claims made by the 
Baron DE VILLA FRANCA and Dr. GLASL of Brazil that 
they had successfully produced graft-hybrids. Now, we 
must plead guilty to not having experimented in this 
manner, and certainly after discussion, Mr. JENMAN and 
myself agreed with the praétical planters and “rather 
unceremoniously dismissed the matter as altogether un- 
scientific.” But beyond our own scientific knowledge 
we had good and definite reason for doing so; wehavea 
file of the Sugar Cane and from time to time we consult 
it. Now in Vol. [X on pp. 315-519, 342-349 and 
AlI-417 may be found a report, translated from the 
Portuguese, covering the whole of this matter, discussing 
the alleged cases of successful grafting, including those 
of the Baron DE VILLA FRANCA and those of Dr. GLASL, 
and this report is signed among others by Dr. GLASL 
himself. It will be sufficient for my purpose, which is to 
show that Mr. BARBER’S assertion that “ there are circum- 
stances which would warrant more attention being paid 
to the process in sugar growing colonies” is not ona 
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