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In choosing variety canes, we should aim at one which will give on 

 the average the highest tonnage of sugar of good quality, at the small- 

 est cost of cultivation and manufacture. Therefore we want a cane 

 which is vigorous in growth, resisting the fungoid diseases, and which 

 with a moderate tonnage of canes per acre yields a high percentage of 

 juice of high saccharine content. This will probably be got only after 

 long and careful work in raising and improving seedling varieties, and 

 it is to them that we must look for a cane with qualities approaching 

 to these. Judging from recent results with seedlings both at Demerara 

 and at Dodds, and arguing from what has been done by careful work 

 in the improvement of other valuable agricultural plants, there is every 

 reason to believe that much may be done for the sugar cane. 



It is only in recent years, subsequent to the discovery of seedlings 

 at Dodds, that the matter has been thoroughly taken up ; seedlings 

 are being raised for the West Indies at Dodds and at the Demerara 

 Experimental Station and are being experimentally cultivated in 

 several islands. Cane seedlings are also being raised and studied in 

 various parts of the tropical world : and I believe it is in this directioa 

 that some of the best work of the future lies, by which we shall be able 

 to combat disease, raise yield, and cheapen agricultural production. 



With regard to resistance to fungoid attack, amongst old varieties, 

 "Transparent Canes" such as Caledonian Queen, and White Transpa- 

 rent, the Striped f'ane, the Queensland Creole and Rappoe have all 

 shown a high resisting power. Several seedlings also shew the same 

 high degree of immunity : and amongst these the best known and most 

 widely cultivated is the Burke. The Burke however has not succeeded 

 everywhere, in some places it is succumbing to root fungus and it is 

 possible that this variety will ultimately prove a success in certain 

 localities only. The Burke however has shewn how much even at this 

 stage a seedling can accomplish, and there are other seedlings which, 

 up to the present known only on a small scale, appear to be more hardy 

 and point distinctly to the conclusion that in time seedlings will be ob- 

 tained of high disease-resisting power. 



With regard to sugar-producing qualities all the above named varie- 

 ties have given good yields of sugar per acre at one place or another ; 

 but like the power of resistance to disease the results have differed on 

 different estates. The Caledonian Queen and White Transparent on 

 the whole appear to have done better than any others. 



Amongst seedlings the Burke (of those that have been cultivated on 

 a large scale) has done best, but has not done so well as far as I can 

 judge in the hill districts. It is characterised by a vigorous growth, 

 a high tonnage of canes, and high yield of juice, and it is to the num- 

 ber of gallons of juice per acre that it owes its yield of sugar which is 

 high : one or two individual instances only as far as I know, have 

 shown more than a moderate saccharine content, general experience 

 uniting in the opinion that the juice is not a very rich one. The ob- 

 jection to a cane which owes its yield to a large tonnage of cane and a 

 large number of gallons of juice of moderate strength, is the heavy 

 soil exhaustion, the cost of cartage and labour and the large amount of 

 evaporation in proportion to fuel supplied by the megass. The Queens- 

 land Creole, Caledonian Queen and White Transparent all yield rich 

 juices where favourably cultivated. The former two however, inclined 



