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of ornamental plants the various species of these giant grasses to the 
open ground in semitropical countries like Florida and southern Califor- 
nia.- Many of the smaller species—for example that known in nursery- 
men’s catalogues as Bambusa violacea—may be grown in a climate as 
mild as that of Washington, and form very attractive clumps in summer. 
But the same plant transferred to moist ground in Florida runs riot and 
becomes a veritable pest. Its subterranean stems penetrate even into 
quicksand, and at a depth of 3 or 4 feet below the surface soil, and send 
up Shoots many yards away from the parent, often breaking forth in the 
very midst of other shrubbery, which is soou overgrown and destroyed. 
The unarmed bamboo of Bengal, Bambusa vulgaris, has none of the 
bad qualities of the intractable species which spread in leaps and 
bounds by underground stems. It forms symmetrical clusters, which 
increase regularly by the addition of new stems on the outside. 
The experience of the past fifteen years proves that it is admirably 
adapted to the soil and climate of Florida, and that it grows there 
under suitable conditions to a greater height than is recorded for this 
bamboo in any other country. In Florida its culms rise to a height of 
72 feet in a single season, growing at the average rate of more than a 
foot a day. 
Seed has never been produced in Florida. In its native home, also, 
it is said to bloom and set seed only at intervals of many years. Prop- 
agation of the plant is readily made either by roots or by cuttings of 
the stem. Offsets from the roots may be taken in early summer, when 
one of the Jarge buds, with its surrounding rootlets, may be separated 
from the mass. Such a young plant will weigh from 40 to 50 pounds. 
When transplanted it will send up the first year, not the giant culm of 
maximum size, but several smaller canes of the size of fishing poles. 
These will be followed by larger and larger canes. The crop of each 
successive season will exceed their predecessors about 1 inch in diame- 
ter and 10 feet in height for five years, provided no exceptionally severe 
frost retards their development. 
Plants of more manageable size may be obtained from cuttings. The 
readiest method of securing a strong plant in this way is to cut in 
May or June from a one year-old stalk one of the nodes, or divisions of 
the stem, with its wand-like branch, and place this in water in a cool, 
shady place. During the summer roots will be produced at the node, 
and it may be planted in moist, shady ground in the fall. Later on, 
when it has made stronger roots, it may be transplanted to open ground. 
This species of bamboo will not thrive in saturated soil, although it 
requires a constant supply of moisture. If cared for when young, 
mulched with leaves and watered carefully, it may be grown anywhere 
in Florida, and even on sandy hills will attain a large size. Its powerful 
roots will after a few years reach water even at a depth of 30 or 40 feet, 
after which the plant will ask for nothing of the cultivator. 
