964 



PBACTICAL GUIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS habdy bamboos 



light sandy loam, and may be increased 

 by division or seeds. The division of the 

 tufts should be done carefully in autumn 

 or spring. 



ZEA Mays {Indian Corn). — A well- 

 known ornamental Grass probably of 

 American origin. It grows 3-4 ft. high, 

 having thick knotted stems, clothed with 

 broad strap-shaped gracefully arched and 

 wavy leaves stem-clasping at the base. 

 The spikelets of flowers are monoecious, 

 that is, some contain only stamens, others 

 only pistils. The males or staminate 

 flowers are borne in a panicle at the ends 

 of the stems, while the female or pistillate 

 spikelets issue from the axils of the leaves 

 lower down the stem, having long feathery 

 tassels. It is from these the well-known 

 cylindrical spikes or cones (' cobs ' ) of 

 fruit are produced withtheirmany-coloured 

 seeds. The variegated form is a much 

 finer and more attractive plant from a 

 garden point of view than the green form. 



Culture and Propagation. — Ordinary 

 good garden soil suits the variety varie- 

 gata, which is rather more tender than 

 the green form. The seedlings from it at 

 first produce green leaves, but very soon 

 begin to develop the striping. It comes 

 true from seeds sown in gentle heat 

 about March and April, the young plants 

 being hardened oflf and got ready for 

 planting out in June or the end of 

 May. The foliage is beautifully striped 

 with creamy or yellowish white, and 

 renders this plant a very striking and 

 graceful object in the garden during the 

 summer and autumn months. 



HARDY BAMBOOS.— Under this 

 heading are described the various genera 

 and species which experience has now 

 proved to be practically hardy in the 

 British Islands. There are now about 50 

 distinct species of Hardy Bamboo in 

 cultivation, and most of them come from 

 China and Japan ; only three hardy species 

 come from the Himalayas, namely Arim- 

 dinaria aristata, A. racemosa, and A. 

 spatJvlflora, and one from the United 

 States — A. macrosperma. 



Bamboos, which may be regarded as 

 woody-stemmed Grasses, have a grace 

 and elegance alljtheir own, and wherever 

 a sheltered nook or dell can be found in 

 a garden, there should some at least of 

 them find a home. The ugliest Bamboo 

 is graceful, so that it would be superfluous 

 to tack complimentary but well-deserved 



adjectives to every species described. 

 Some are tall and some are dwarf, but 

 there are intermediate forms, and some 

 grow more freely and display their foHage 

 better than others, so that although the 

 general hue is a green one, there is an 

 endless variety and charm in it that 

 always excites admiration. 



The best situation for Bamboos is one 

 sheltered from northerly and easterly 

 winds, and if the shelter is given by trees 

 or shrubs or hedges, so much the better, 

 as the surroundings will then be more in 

 harmony with nature. 



Culture and Propagation. — Bamboos 

 flourish in a good rich loam. The beds 

 in which they are to be planted should be 

 thoroughly dug or trenched. The best 

 time for planting is at the end of May or 

 early in June, according to the weather. 

 After planting, which must be done care- 

 fully, so as not to break the brittle roots, 

 the soil may be well mulched with cow- 

 manure, and a mass of dried leaves or 

 litter may be placed round each plant to 

 prevent evaporation from the soil during 

 the summer months. A good soaking is 

 essential after planting, and during the 

 hot weather the plants may be given 

 abundance of water when established. 



When plants are imported from the 

 Continent or Japan or other parts of the 

 world, they should travel during the 

 autumn and winter — the period when the 

 plants are practically at rest, and least 

 likely to suffer from a change. Mr. 

 Freeman-Mitford, who has had great 

 experience in the importation and cultiva- 

 tion of Hardy Bamboos, and who has 

 probably done more than anyone else to 

 make them the popular plants they now 

 are, advises that imported plants should 

 be treated as follows : — When a consign- 

 ment of Bamboos arrives, soak the roots 

 well for 12 hours. Then pot them, taking 

 great care not to distm-b the roots. After- 

 wards place in a cool house for the winter. 

 Very little water is given to the roots, 

 but the leaves should be constantly 

 syringed. In spite of this, many species 

 lose their leaves, but early in February 

 the axillary buds begin to swell, and by 

 the end of March the plants are in full 

 leaf again. The plants are then watered 

 freely, and root action soon begins. New 

 shoots are seen to pierce the soil. Not a 

 plant has been lost by this treatment. 

 By the middle of May the plants are 

 hardened off in the same way as Pelar- 



