168 



Keeper of the Herbarium and Library : W. B. Hemsley, F.R.S. 

 Honorary Keeper of the Jodrell Laboratory : D. H. Scott, Ph.D., 



M.A., F.R.S. 

 Keeper of Museums : J. R. Jackson, A.L.S. 



The most important Colonial botanical institutions in intimate re- 

 lation with Kew are : — 



Ceylon. — Director of Royal Botanic Gardens : J. C. Willis, M.A. 

 Straits Settlements. — Director of Gardens and Forest Department: 



H. N. Ridley, M.A. 

 Jamaica. — Director of Public Gardens and Plantations : William 



Fawcett, B.Sc. 



In 1898, in accordance with the recommendations of the West 

 India Commission, a Special Department of Agriculture was created for 

 Barbados, the Leeward and the Windward Islands, and was placed 

 under the charge of a Commissioner, with headquarters at Barbados. 



"Commissioner of Agriculture at Barbados : D. Morris, C.M.G., 

 D.Sc, M.A," 



IMPROVEMENT OF SUGAR-CANE BY CHEMICAL 

 SELECTION. * 



In the Kew Bulletin for 1894 (pp. 86-96), * * 1897 (p. 318), and 

 1898 (pp. 331-334), account was given of the method pursued at Calumet 

 Plantation, Louisiana, and subsequently in Queensland and Barbados, 

 of improving the sugar-cane by chemical selection. This is based on 

 the know T n variability of cultivated plants and the consequent possibili- 

 ty of enhancing any desired character bv the continued selection of the 

 plants in which that character is most marked. 



As long ago as 1886 it had been pointed out in a letter to the Colo- 

 nial Office from Kew that the saccharine contents of <he sugar-cane 

 could be improved by progressive selection quite independently of re- 

 production by seed. 



Mr. Bovell's results at Barbados have attracted the attention of Dr. 

 Kobus, the Director of the Sugar-cane Experiment Station in East Java. 

 He has lately favouied us with the following interesting letter, which is 

 printed for the information of those working on the subject : — 



Director, Sugar-Cane Experiment Station, East Java, to Royal 



Gardens, Kew. 



Pasoeroean, March 26, 1899. 



Dear Sir, 



In the " Report of the results obtained on the experimental 

 fields at Dodd's Reformatory, 1897," I see that you suggested to Mr. 

 Bovell to trv the selection of sugar-cane by chemical analysis of the 

 juice. 



* From Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information. R. Gardens, Kew. March 

 and April. 1899. 



*• See Bulletin of Botanical Department, Jamaica, 1895, Sept., page 183. 



