8 BULLETIN 13870, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
TOLERANT OR RESISTANT VARIETIES 
The varieties of the Chinese group (Cayana-10 and Uba) have! 
several advantages from the cultural standpoint. They germinate 
well, and less plant cane is required per acre than for the large-stalk, 
varieties, such as Louisiana Purple. These slender, hardy varieties 
ratoon exceptionally well, as a result of which the chances for three 
or four stubble crops are considered to be about as good as those fo 
two successful stubble crops from the large-stalk varieties. They 
are exceptionally resistant to disease. ‘he Cayana-10 and the 
Uba are apparently immune to the mosaic disease, and the other 
Chinese varieties are so tolerant of it that there is practically no loss 
from this disease, even in mosaic-infested districts. In yield of! 
stalks these slender varieties surpass the large-stalk varieties. Their 
juice contains a relatively high proportion of invert sugar, yielding 
a sirup with less tendency to crystallize when boiled to high density, 
The rinds are green, and the sirup is lighter than that from a deep- 
colored cane, such as the Louisiana Purple. Because of their prolifie 
growth, all these varieties are good forage crops. | 
The varieties of the Chinese type, on the other hand, have severally 
disadvantages. The labor of stripping and topping them is abouti 
double that for harvesting the standard large varieties, computed on™ 
the ton of cane, the stalks being much smaller and the leaves adhering™, 
more closely to the stalks. The cane is so tough that it requires ¢ 
stronger mill and more power to grind it. The yield of juice per ton 
of cane is smaller than that from the large, softer varieties. The, 
flavor of the sirup differs somewhat from that obtained from Louisianall, 
Purple or Ribbon cane, to which most cane-sirup users are accustomed 
The stalks and leaves of the old, small Japanese cane, long grown, 
in this country, are still more slender than those of the otherg, 
Chinese varieties, and the stalks are more fibrous. The yield of 
juice per ton of cane is therefore lower. The juice has a lower solids§, 
content and the ‘‘purity”’ is less. The flavor of the sirup irom this§, 
variety differs from that obtained from the Louisiana Purple and™, 
Ribbon canes to a greater extent than does that of sirup from the}: 
other Chinese varieties. a 
A group of varieties that has aroused great interest in Louisianai, 
on account of their tolerance to mosaic disease and resistance to™} 
frost, the Chunnee-Cheribon hybrids, may be of value for sirupm, 
production. These varieties, 36, 213, and 234 P. O. J., are notable, 
also for high sucrose content and purity of juice. Their juice would§, 
therefore need to be mixed with the juice of Cayana or another variety@: 
having a fairly large proportion of invert sugar in order to produce; 
a sirup that would not crystallize. The Chunnee-Cheribon hybrids. 
are not immune to mosaic. They become infected readily but are§. 
not severely injured by the disease. This means, of course, that, 
they act as carriers of the disease, and remain a potential source off}, 
danger to corn, sorghum, millet, and other crops that are susceptibleg.. 
to mosaic. On this account they do not offer a complete solution off 
the mosaic problem, as does Cayana-10 of the Chinese group,§. 
which is completely immune. a 
Some varieties of cane are less fibrous than the Louisiana Purpleg, 
and the Ribbon and yield a higher percentage of juice; others are 
more fibrous and yield less juice. Thus the Home Green (Otaheite 
or Bourbon) yields about 5 per cent more juice (with a small power 
mill), the Cayana-10 and Uba yield 2 to 4 per cent less juice, and 
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