86 
equally prolific. We are informed that canes have been propagated 
this year from seeds of seedlings ; a strong evidence in favour of 
permanence of the type produced. Amongst the specimens exhibited 
by Mr. Hay we counted 26 well-defined varieties; we believe that all 
were produced from seeds of Port Mackay, Lousier, Penang, and 
Bamboo ; but the prevailing characteristics of the majority were certainly 
those of the amboo, which, from other analogies, we ne to be the 
primitive stock of many of our varieties of purple anes. We must 
hope that the importance of the success achieved br those gentlemen 
who have raised canes from seed will not be lost sight of by planters at 
large. It is mortifying to find that after two years’ familiarity with the 
fact, so few managers have taken the trouble to do what we now know 
can n be done. The deterioration of the sugar cane is a favourite topie of 
conversation in our island ; fabulous yields are spoken of in the good 
old days when Triple- Effets were not, and planters weighed not their 
and yet how many se our planters have made the attempt ? 
CCCLXV.—IMPROVEMENT OF SUGAR-CANE BY 
CHEMICAL SELECTION OF SEED CANES. 
During the last ten years considerable attention has been devoted to 
the possible oa ee of the sugar-cane as an industrial plant. The 
earlier steps taken were in the direction of introducing new sorts from 
the East Indies and the islands of the Pacific, in the hope that some at 
least of these would be found to possess greater vigour, yield larger 
crops, or be individually richer in saccharine properties. Some good 
was undoubtedly done in this way. Many new canes of merit were 
added to the few hitherto almost exclusively grown in sugar-producing 
seg ot A larger range of selection was afforded to the planter who 
had to contend with special circumstances, such us the nature of the soil, 
season, derat , and the amount and distribution of the rainfall. Where 
at one time onl m or three sorts of canes were available for 
SPEER ded tion, there are now more than a hundred named 
lt as undoubtedly had its ges on the industry, and 
in fa the hands. of intelligent and observant it has in some localities 
greatly improved the general yield and aaa? of the sugar. The 
utilisation of the chance xis of sugar-canes that had arisen 
either from bud variation or fertile seed in various parts of the world 
was not, however, the most skilful nor perhaps the most «conomical way 
of seeking to improve sugar cultivation. It had Jong been thought 
that the sugar-cane had lost the power of producing fertile seed, and 
hence the possibility of improving the sugar-cane by cross fertilisation 
and selection had up to very recent times been abandoned. This has, 
however, proved in some measure not to be the case. e Kew 
eed for AME y 1891, as well as the present number, contains some 
account o at bas been done in attempting to take advantage of 
ential faailo. The net results of the experiments to improve the 
jadine by this means cannot yet be determined. Alth ough some 
canes of undoubted merit Andi ve been produced, the process in actu al 
practi ice is one involving t labour and risk; for after growing 
touidi of seedling canes b shaker y, it is possible that not one will 
