135 
On the Roots of the Sugar-cane. 
By Hy. Line Roru., 
[Read before the Royal Society of N.S.W., 3 October, 1883.] 
bottom knocked out, and 17 to 22 inches in diameter, was filled 
With manured garden soil well mixed down to 12 inches from the 
hottom, and sunk into the ground so that the top of the cask was 
on a level with the surrounding soil. In the cask were planted, 
t oe deep, two Rose-bamboo plants with three good eyes in 
each, 
B. On the same date were planted a few feet distant from the 
above, two plants of the same variety of cane, with a like number 
of eyes and placed at the same depth. This plot trenched 4 feet 
Square and 20 to 22 inches deep. The soil was a light black loam 
for the first 15 inches, then a heavier brown loam, which at 40 
Mehes depth had merged into river sand. As far as has yet been 
ined, this sand extends down to beyond 6 feet. This plot 
was not manured., c 
The cask was raised on 16th August and knocked to pieces, 
leaving @ compact mass of roots binding the earth firmly together. 
The soil was removed by means of washing with water, but the 
Toots were so fragile that in spite of every precaution many were 
broken off; in fact, from the quantity of rootlets collected in the 
Water afterwards, I should say that fully one-sixth were dissevered 
Plate I will show the dense character of these roots. Some of 
these roots had spread out laterally, and not being able to extend 
Pigs the cask had gone downwards ; yar roots, again, had . 
once. As it was not imagined that any roo 
descended to a greater depth sear 30 inches (the depth of the 
cask) no precautions were taken to prevent the sundering of any 
ag Which penetrated below that depth. afterwards sate 
fat almost all the roots had thrust themselves into the san 
kenge, 8® cask. The cane had been planted very late in the 
not, but had prown fairly well; the diameter of the canes 
Teached 1} in., but the colour of the leaves was pale and 
