HARDY BAMBOOS, 



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stem will push its way through the earth early in the year ; but a large pro- 

 portion of the growth comes too late, and cannot ripen in the feeble autumn 

 sun. It is, perhaps, for this reason that the canes have a provoking trick of 

 breaking off at the roots, causing a great disfigurement and untidy appearance 

 in the plant. Their graceful habit is the great charm of the Bamboos, and no 

 plant can be called graceful which is apt to sprawl about with prostrate culms. 



Very different is the behaviour of the lovely group of Phyllostaches which 

 is made up of Borya?ia, nigra^ nigro -punctata ^ Henonis (all apparently closely 

 allied), and viridiglaucescens. As soon as the spring has released the earth 

 from its bonds, these begin busily to bestir themselves. At the end of April 

 or beginning of May, and sometimes earlier, the little cones are seen to pierce 



THE PALMATE BAMBOO AS AN EVERGREEN WATERSIDE COVERT PLANT. 

 (Engraved for " Flora" from a photograph after Nature. Sussex, January 1903.) 



the surface of the soil ; development takes place under the most favourable 

 conditions, so far as heat is concerned, that our summer affords, and the August 

 sun ripens the wood. As a natural consequence, we may reckon with all faith 

 upon the ultimate result. But there is one precaution which must not be neg- 

 lected if we desire to see the nodding plumes at their best. While the culms 

 are growing, until the terminal leaf and the upper branches have all matured, 

 they are so brittle that a touch will almost break them, and a very slight breeze 

 will make the old stems flog the young ones until they are all lashed into strings 

 and threads. In order to avoid this it is necessary to tie the young culms to 



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