228 



when lifted off. It is sufficient to renew the empty paper 



between these sheets from time to time. How often this has to be 



done depends mainly on the moisture of the air, if not done over 



fire. On the whole, grasses dry quickly and without changing 



colour. They may from the beginning be subjected to considerable 

 pressure. 



5. Every specimen should be accompanied by a numbered 

 label, the numbers running on through the consecutive collections. 

 The label should contain the name of the collector, the name and 

 general character (wood, bush, savanna, river banks &c.) of the 

 locality, approximate altitude, date of collecting, average height, 

 frequency, association, or any other peculiarity of the grass which 

 can only be made out in the field. 



6. If in unexplored countries there is not sufficient time for 

 thorough collecting, attention should be paid in the first place to 

 the grasses which are most striking on account of their frequency, 

 their general appearance, or their economic importance. It is 

 better to have them well represented than to have an indis- 

 criminate set of scraps. 



7. In fairly well explored districts, the commoner and most 

 conspicuous grasses might be treated more superficially, although 

 tney should by no means be neglected, and an eye might be kept 

 on them with respect to their variation and physiological and 

 economic peculiarities (see p. 208). On the other hand, small or 

 rare passes or such as flower irregularly or in unusual seasons 

 snould be the principal object of the collector. The collector 

 should, however, always keep in mind that many grasses require 

 close comparison to distinguish them, and that it will therefore be 



otherwise t0 *" 0n **"* "^ ° f du P licatin 2 his specimens than 



The opportunities of the collector, particularly the traveller who 

 nasmtne first place other objects to pursue, will of course not 

 always permit him to carry out to the full the recommendations 

 laid down here ; but the minimum to be insisted upon is the 

 collecting of identifiable specimens (paragraphs 1 and 2) and 

 proper localising. Without that his time will frequently be 



XXXVI.-THE FLOWERING OF CULTIVATED 



BAMBOOS. 



W. J. Bean. 



The last two decades have witnessed a great increase in the 



?sqi .if 7 hardy bazoos. It was not, indeed, until about 

 ±wi tnat any general interest was taken in them by horticulturists 

 m tins country, although their merits had been appreciated by 

 *rencn cultivators for some years previously. The formation of 

 me bamboo Garden at Kew in the winter of 1891-2 not only 

 marked the beginning of a more general cultivation of these plants 

 in Britain, it helped largely to brinff it about. It was the first, 



most 



