85 
eane, a funetion which it had long been supposed to have lost under 
cultivation. 
From the well-known principle of seminal variation, it was obvious 
that a new method was open to the planter of obtaining fresh races of 
the sugar-cane. The procedure would, however, be slow, and would 
would, in fact, consist of “selecting” in the seedlings of each generation 
those which presented, in some marked degree, one or more desirable 
characters. Each successive step in advance would in some individuals 
be cumulative, and at last a new race would be obtained, which could 
e propaga cuttings in the wap € , possessing 
valuable qualities, might. even, with g ood fortune, to judge from 
E ee of other cultivated “plans, emerge from the seed 
were, per saltum. But this cannot be reckoned upon, and the best 
releshe will pora be MEE: in the long run by gradual and 
progressive selectio 
The matter was àt once taken in hand in Demerara, and the Kew 
Bulletin for 1891 (pp. 20-23) gave an interesting account of the 
earliest results obtained. For further study of the subject, reference 
may be made to the excellent * Report on the Agricultural Work in the 
Botanical Gardens, 1890 (Demerara, 1891),” by Mr. J. B. Harrison, the 
Government Analytical Chemist, and Mr. G. S. Jenman, the Government 
Botanist. 
. . The following "rg which is extracted from the Sugar Cane for 
January 1894 (pp. 1 .19-20), shows what has in the meantime been 
accomplished in Mauritius. It describes the show of sugar-canes 
brought ME reed at the Ec pere Exhibition of October 1893 :— 
“The collection of sugar-canes was probably one of the best, if not 
the best, which has ever been brought together in one room in any part 
of an inch high to second ratoons from n ent stac raised from seed. 
The history of the first eiie attempt to raise sugar cane fro 
native seed in this Colony is too well known to need repetition ; but 
certainly, when the President of t the Chamber of Agriculture announ 
to his colleagues in 1891 that the four great sugar companies had 
combined to offer a prize of Rs. 1,000 for the best collection of canes 
s 
success of Mr. Perromat, Mr. in, Mr. Kenig, and others; or 
in the short space of two years, thanks to the energy and foresight of 
Mr. Hay, such vm er of matured canes could have been submitted d 
sports and varieties have been pr roduced, some of which show tendencies 
to throw back on inferior types, but most of which are of a highly 
promising character. ‘The most remarkable feature about them is their 
extreme robustness, many having 12 feet clear of cane, well grown, with 
long healthy internodes, while to find from 25 to 35 canes in one stool 
is by no means uncommon. The first ratoons have been found to be 
