VENTUKA-BY-THE-SEA, CALIFORNIA 



51 



Rare Bamboos 



Bamboos are among our most decora- 

 tive, beautiful and useful plants, for 

 house or garden. The interest in them is 

 increasing and on many large places fine 

 collections are being made. They add 

 greatly to the tropical effect of the land- 

 scape. They grow in almost any situa- 

 tion and after once being established re- 

 quire no further care. Their stems are 

 valuable for stakes and rustic work, and 

 pretty devices for the protection of beds 

 can be made from them. 



Bamboo Falcata. A rather dwarf bam- 

 boo, with exquisite flat growths of tiny 

 leaves and slender stems. It is a mag- 

 nificent plant when grown, and is very 

 hardy, standing a temperature of 10 de- 

 grees without injury. It forms a thick, 

 fan-shaped clump never over 8 to 10 feet 

 high. Elegant pot plant. Without doubt 

 a most useful plant for the florist. The 

 graceful shoots are very useful in flow- 

 er-work. 50c to $1 each. 



B. Argentea. A very hardy Japanese 

 species reaching 35 to 40 feet. The un- 

 der side of the leaf glaucous green; plant 

 forms a noble clump even at an early 

 age. The tops spread out gracefully, like 

 immense drooping plumes, and make con- 

 siderable shade. The canes are used for 

 fishing poles and for all sorts of manufac- 

 tured articles, particularly by the Chi- 

 nese and Japanese. 50c to $1. 



B. Argentea Striata. Exactly like the 

 preceding except that it has variegated 

 foliage, green and white, and is even 

 more vigorous, the bright yellow stems 

 often striped with green are very beau- 

 tiful. 75c to $1.50. 



B. Aurea (Phyllastochis.) A hardy spe- 

 cies with underground running roots, 

 which must be grown in masses, unless 

 the runners are kept cut off with a spade. 

 Light green leaves and yellow stems. 

 Will reach a height of 8 to 12 feet. Very 

 hardy. 25c to 50c. 



B. Falconeri. 16 to 18 feet.. One of 

 the most elegant bamboos. It forms 

 large, graceful clumps and is especially 

 suited to small places. It has no runners 

 and can be divided and kept a desired 

 size. The stems are upright, slender, 

 whip-like, pliable; the foliage fine, droop- 

 ing, fern-like and is stirred by every 

 movement of the air. It makes exquisite 

 pot plants, as beautiful as a fine fern. 

 $1.50 to $2.50 each. 



B. Gracilis. 18 to 20 feet. Resembles 

 the above, but is even more graceful and 

 beautiful, the branches are very slender 

 and larger than those of Falconeri. They 

 arch over on all sides and respond to ev- 

 ery breeze, swaying and curving gently 

 and gracefully and meets with all hard, 

 rough winds that break and destroy more 



rigid stems'. These two finest of bamboos 

 are very useful for room decoration, eith- 

 er in pots or as cut stems. They are 

 very difficult to propagate. Rare and 

 high priced, seldom offered. $2, $3 to 

 $5. 



B. Nigra (Phyllastochis.) A fine up- 

 right variety with jet black stems, very 

 handsome. It is used for canes. 50c, 75c 

 and $1. 



B. Metake. A handsome, broad-leaved, 

 very hardy species, rarely exceding 10 

 feet in height. Very suitable for pots 

 and tubs, as an ornamental house plant. 

 Leaves are thick and strong; very beauti- 

 ful. It forms large masses, like B. Aurea; 

 the canes are used for many purposes. 

 Will grow along" the southern border of 

 the United States. Strong plants 25c, 

 50c to 75c. 



B. Spinosa. This is an East India sort 

 resembling B. Arundinacea. Reaches an 

 immense size. 50c each. 



B. Verticil lata. A handsome species, 

 standing much cold. Yellow striped stems 

 and medium-sized leaves, forming a splen- 

 did clump, with the habit of B. Argentea. 

 It is a grand variety; it is especially used 

 for forming wind-breaks, but will not do 

 well on too dry or thirsty soils. 50c, 75c. 



B. Vulgaris. The common spineless 

 bamboo of Bengal. Most rapid grower, 

 attaining the height of 70 feet ,and form- 

 ing in two or three years a magnificent 

 clump of 25 or more great canes that are 

 4 inches in diameter when mature. They 

 can be cut in sections ana used for many 

 purposes. $2.50 each. 



B. Vulgaris Variegata. The counterpart 

 of the above and one that makes a fine 

 contrast with it. The stems are deep 

 rich yellow, sometimes lined with bright 

 green, the large leaves are beautifully va- 

 riegated green and bright yellow. It 

 makes a noble clump in two or three 

 years, is a striking contrast of color at- 

 tracting immediate attention; the canes, 

 when mature, are 4 inches in diameter. 

 $2.50. 



B. No. 11. Very easily grown and sends 

 out a crop of runners every year in all 

 directions that sprout at each joint, com- 

 ing up in straight lines like little squads 

 of soliders. It attains a height of 18 or 20 

 feet, has numerous' dark green leaves that 

 start out on thick branches near the 

 ground, half pyramidal in shape; diameter 

 of the plant is about three feet. It forms 

 a sort of grove or thicket and makes a 

 fine wind-break, or beautiful screen or 

 back ground. It gives numerous canes 

 like fishing poles, l 1 /^ inches in diameter. 

 These are invaluable for the garden. We 

 use them for plant stakes and rustic work, 

 and for little fences around beds of choice 

 plants, to keep out pet dogs or cats. They 

 are about two feet high, with redwood up- 

 rights and three bamboos attached length- 



