THE CONGESTION OF BAMBOO CLUMPS. 



179 



The 



bamb(>08 ' 



cutting continues until the clump becomes hopelessly congested. 

 This is an evil which can be remedied by better supervision. 



The cleaning of congested bamboo clumps has been frequently 



attempted sijice Gamble started this work in the Saharanpur 



. . of bamboo 



division in the eighties. In connection with the revision of the dumps. 



Lansdowne plan the experimental cleaning of congested clumps 

 was carried out under strict personal supervision. It was found 

 that moderately congested clumps could be cleaned up but that 

 the time and cost involved rendered the operation unprofitable. 



Dendrocalamus strictus. Flowers sporadically and some seed Propaqa- 

 is usually available every year. It regenerates naturally but the tion of 

 young plants are destroyed if exposed to grazing. Where natural 

 regeneration has' taken place the area must be closed to grazing. 

 No yield will be obtained before the 10th year by which time 

 clumps will have been formed and some thin bamboos will be 

 available. A natural 'thing out of surplus clumps takes place and 

 the weaker clumps are killed out by suppression. There appears 

 to be no necessity to help this natural process artificially. 



Bamboos may be propagated by sowing or by planting nursery 

 plants, live rhizomes or offsets otherwise cuttings. The planting 

 out of nursery grown plants when one or two years old or of young 

 forest grown seedlings or of rhizomes is recommended and this 

 operation presents no difficulty. Planting should only be done 

 when the rains are well established. 



