492 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Nov., 1899. 
one has more chance of success if one gathers (seed) in certain localities where 
the fecundation and maturing of the seed appears to be more normal than in 
others. ‘The production will be yet more considerable if we could at the time of 
collecting them make sure that the pannicles that a'e gathered are fertile, and 
ample provision be made by neglecting those unfertile, but this verifica- 
tion is difficult and not practical. One is therefore compelled to gather a great 
number of differert productions and try their germinating power by a direct 
sowing. At the end of eight or ten days one has determined their respective: 
qualities, but by that time ‘¢ is too late to make a new gathering from the canes: 
which have given a satisfactory result, because the seeds have been scattered by 
the breezes— strong enough at that time of the year. 
When the seeds are fertile one has only to gather the pannicles as soon as the 
spikelets begin to detach themselves spontaneously, and it is no longer necessary 
to envelop them beforehand with a gauze to collect the seeds which might be 
lost. One succeeds quite as well without this precaution, which naturally will 
be useless if the pannicle does not contain fertile seeds. It is necessary to 
prepare the ground beforehand, and to sow as soon as possible, because the: 
seeds lose their vitality quickly, and by the end of a month the germination is: 
more tardy and much less abundant. After sowing one ought to cover lightly 
with fine earth, and water frequently so that the earth may never dry completely ;. 
to conserve the moisture it is equally necessary to shade the seed-bed from the 
sun during the hottest time of the day till all the young plants have acquired a. 
sufficient development ; later on they can be pricked into pots of bamboo or 
“Vacoas” till large enough to plant in the open ground. 
Tt is searcely possible yet to know which varieties of canes it is best to 
‘collect seed from ; that is to say, which are the varieties which will give the 
best results. It is necessary to gather in preference the panicles from the best 
eane varieties, though one cannot be certain of obtaining a better result because 
the seed (canes) produced by individuals have no relation to the mother cane 
either in size or colour, the same (mother) cane yields, by seed, plants of all sorts 
and of all qualities, but principally of a red, more or less dark, occasionally white,, 
and very rarely striped stalks. 
This year sowings made at the “ station ” have succeeded fairly, but as in 
last year the seeds collected at Rednit or in the neighbourhood have been 
almost totally unfertile, whether collected from old varieties or coming from 
seedling canes. Thus, in an experiment for which each lot was sown in an equal 
_ surface of land the following results were obtained :— 
15 lots gave a negative result, 
1 lot gave 1 plant, 
2 lots have each given 2 plants, 
though all the flowers have been gathered and the sowings made in the same 
way. We see thus that the fertility of the seed is very variable, and that at the 
time of flowering it is necessary to gather plenty of seed and in different 
conditions to be assured of having some of good quality. 
All the young plants planted out do not succeed, a certain number die” 
before making stalk, but those which succeed and develop ought to be propa- 
gated by cuttings, and it is only after the first multiplication that one can have 
an idea of their approximate value. _ 
Of the seedlings planted in this year, the writer says :— Their growth was 
generally more active than that of last year, as several plants had already sent 
up shoots from 2 to 3 feet high two or three months after planting in January. 
Such precocity has not been noted before. One must remember that this year 
the season is much more favourable, though last year the drought has probably 
been the principal cause of delay. This active growth lets in hope that, among 
the new species, some will accomplish their evolution more quickly than others, 
and will give more latitude to the period during which we can effect the planting, 
in a given locality.” , 
