186 
The reasons for the existence of this large acreage under 
sugar cane, where the conditions are unfavourable.” The fate 
of attempts at providing sugar-making factories in North 
India and the prospects of success in the future. A great 
increase in the importation of white sugar during recent years. 
Government assistance in improvement of sugar manufacture 
and the class of canes grown. The latter alone dealt with here. 
The only available method the raising of seedlings. 
Hitherto unsuccessfully tried in India. The rarity of cane 
flowering in North India and popular superstition regarding 
it. The infertility of the stamens in cane flowers in North 
India. Flowering much commoner in South Indian canes and 
the stamens fertile even in introduced North Indian canes. 
Hence a cane-breeding station started in Madras. Seedlings 
raised in numbers, but most of them from introduced tropical 
parents, although many native canes collected and grown at 
the stations. North Indian canes desired as parents; the 
character of these and the gradual decrease in luxuriance 
towards the north-west, where the canes become very primi- 
tive. The need for crossing the canes of each tract with rich 
tropical canes. Some of the results thus far obtained at the 
cane-breeding station. 
THE CLASSIFICATION OF INDIAN SUGAR CANES. 
By Dr. C. A. Barser, 
Government Sugar Cane Expert in India. 
[ApsTract. ] 
For the improvement of the Indian sugar industry it is 
necessary to obtain a thorough knowledge of the canes of the 
country. The existing descriptions of these are very meagre, 
but several collections of varieties have been made and pre- 
served in Governinent Farms. The classification of these 
varieties is practically pioneer work. The method adopted 
has been to make an exhaustive study of each variety as it has 
been met with, to note the differences between them and to 
build up a classification upon these. 
Classification according to habit is a very useful starting- 
point. Erectness, leaf-endings, tillering, selected for brief 
consideration. 
Colour of use, but less suitable for main classes; colour of 
stem, blushing, colour of leaf-sheath, colour induced by fungi 
—all useful minor characters. 
