The Bamboos 



loving subjects, care should be taken to place 

 them in naturally damp ground or in such a 

 place that a good supply of water can be obtained 

 without trouble during dry weather. The kind 

 of soil required for Bamboo culture is not very 

 particular, providing it is made moderately rich, 

 light and heavy loams all being suitable. The 

 ground should be well trenched previous to 

 planting, and if poor it should be enriched by an 

 addition of well decayed manure and leaves. 

 The most suitable time to plant is May, particu- 

 larly if the material consists of pieces severed 

 from old stocks. As soon as the work is com- 

 pleted a good watering should be given, and 

 care must be taken to ensure frequent watering 

 should the weather prove to be at all dry. When 

 once clumps are well established, an annual top- 

 dressing in April or May will be found to be of 

 great service. About February or March each 

 year the clumps should be gone over and all 

 canes removed right down to the base that show 

 signs of being worn out. It is highly essential 

 that these canes should be removed to the base, 

 for if left a few inches in length they will choke 

 the young shoots. Clumps that have become 

 very large may be improved by being divided up 

 in May. This division of the stools encourages 

 a greater number of vigorous young shoots. 



Propagation is usually effected by division of 

 the clumps, though, when seeds can be obtained, 



247 



