^4 



IRISH (iAKl)i:M.\( 



Are Bamboos worth Growing ? 



A CLANCK at tlif cliaiiniii- illii.M i.il i. .11 ot 

 Plivllostachys Qiiilici <:n.\vin<r at 'rrrl)a-.'li. in 

 Coi-invall, would l)fol);il)|.v iiKln.r iiiaiiy ]ni>])U' 

 to aiis\\-cr ill tlu- alVirmativc ; luil in ll«r iiiatlcr 

 of climate- Cornwall is favoured. tlioiiL'li per 

 liai)s not more so than tlu- south and w<->t of 

 In- land. 



In many other localities, houexer. ulieiv 

 l)ainlx)()s hav(- heeii 

 ])lantt'd they are 

 II ndo n 1) t e d 1 > a 

 ni(-laneholy siirht foi- 

 s e V e n o r e i li h t 

 luoiiths ot tlu- year, 

 and it heeoines a ques- 

 tion whether many 

 mure wortliy subjeets 

 eoiild not be used 

 with far belter etTeet . 

 If ui- w ere- to 

 (•online- onesi-lf to 

 nu-ndu-rs of the t^rass 

 family, to which 

 bamboos l)elon,Lr. 

 woidd not more sa- 

 tisfaction be got from 

 bold groups of 

 Pam])as Grass. 

 Clyueriuni argenteum. 

 and the Giant Reed 

 ArmuUj Donax ar- 

 ranged -with masses of 

 Miseantbus ja])onicus 

 and the variegateil 

 variety Zebrina ? 

 These are handsonu- 

 grasses Avhieh look 

 well all summer and 

 into autumn. 



Certainly. where rnvixo.sT.MHYs Qiilioi 



bamboos fiourisli they 



are noble objects in autunm and winter, but in 

 many cases from late winter on into earl.\ 

 summer the less one sees of them the better. 

 Xo doubt position and soil have much to do 

 with success in bamboo culture. One caiuvot 

 but remember that in Kew Gardens, near Lon- 

 don, the Bamboo Dell is a notable fcatine ; 

 but tliere a tine position has been sect n-cd. 

 Sheltered pretty Avell all round by rising l)anks. 

 surmounted by tall trees and clothed with 

 various shrubs, cold harsh winds are ])iacti- 

 cally excluded, and ahhough the climate 

 there is by no means ideal the bamboos are 

 Well Worth seeing. 



In Ireland much success has attended the 



planting of bamboos at I'ota. Darrcen. Iloss- 

 dolian. &c.. but. as is well kiutwn. the climate 

 ill these localities is ]»ractically snl)-t r<»|iical in 



character. 'I'liis is not > i the north-east 



coast and in main parts of the midlands, where 

 \cr\ scNt-re weather i^ not iiif re(|iient . aiul 

 where, especially oii tlic <-ast coast, the rain 

 r.all i> not al.Poruial. 



It -CCU1-- to the wiitci, thereh>re. that the 

 ,|iii-ti(>ii .1- to wImmIki "■ lianiboos are Worth 

 ( I rowing ■■ is one for 

 c inu-st e<tnsi(l(-ratioii. 

 and the views of 

 -rowers ill hvlaiid 

 or clsewheif W(Mi|(I. 

 I am sure. jiroNc of 

 inlei(-st to readers 

 of Ikism G.ahdkmnc. 

 •Mr. W. .1. Hean.of 

 Kew. who has a long 

 e.\]>erience as a ciilti- 



ihc h. How in- for trial 

 wiicre success is 

 .loublful : 



.\iundinaria ancejjs, 

 I'asi uosa. .Ia])oiuca, 

 X i t ida i)a 1 mat a. 

 Hagainowski. i'hylk - 

 slachys HeiKiiiis nigra 

 aiul \ iridi-glauce.'-ens, 

 J)oi-BTKfi>. 



Beekeeping. 



'l-ni: p 

 l..r lh 



^V 



I- Ua<. 



most ])art. 

 I;ccn unfavourable for 

 lees, t lu-ri- being only 

 occasional short spells 

 (lining which they 

 \T Ti!i':n.\t;ir. Codnw ai.i.. could obtain cither 

 ]»o 1 I e n or ncctac. 

 Kaster week being hue and llowers ])lentiful 

 thev secured sonu- nectar and .1 good 

 sn])"ply of i)nllen. 'IMie first half of .May 

 was a very cold. w(-t pei-iod. more like mid- 

 winter than early summer, and the snow on the 

 hills gav(- a iinishing touch to the bleakness of 

 the prospect, 'riu- change to warmer weather 

 set in on tlu- l.'.th. and tor the four following 

 days many stocks that were lunning hare in 

 stores secured a good sujtply and have since 

 made good progress. Stocks with plenty of 

 winter stores to fall back on built ii]) steadily 

 through the cold weather, many being sufh- 

 cientl\' strong to crowd into crates of sections by 

 the time the ai)ples started to unfold their 



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