368 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
extremely beautiful, and, when well established, it must be a 
grand addition to our list of hardy exotics. 
I have not as yet spoken of Phyllostachys mitis. I know 
that in many places it is a most conspicuous ornament, and 
indeed perhaps the most conspicuous of the Bambuseae. But 
with me it has hitherto been a disappointment — the greater 
because so much was expected of it. Possibly, if my plants had 
been longer established, if they had had one really good season, 
or if they had been more wisely treated on their first arrival, the 
result might have been different. As it is, the new shoots, 
instead of increasing in bulk and in height every year, as they 
should have done, have rather dwindled, and certainly the culms 
of 1895 are in most cases inferior to those of 1894. The best 
shoots of last year came very late, and, not having had time to 
ripen their wood under a sunless sky, perished miserably under 
a persistent frost of last February. This year's shoots, on the 
other hand, though more puny, have shown themselves in better 
time, and have had a more propitious sun to ripen them. I 
consider, therefore, that the plants are in better condition alto- 
gether, and more promising for the future, than I have seen 
them since they were first set to face the difficulties of their new 
home four years ago. Of those planted more recently I can 
speak with even greater confidence. 
There are one or two Bamboos of which I have not yet had 
sufficient experience to speak with any certainty. Two of these, 
the im-posmg Bambusa fastuosa of M. Latour Marliac and the 
extremely curious Bambnsa heterocycia, hold out the greatest 
hopes of a brilliant future. But all things considered, if I were 
to start planting bamboos with the view of ornament only, and 
apart from the collector's mania, I should feel inclined to confine 
myself to the species to which I have alluded above. The list 
includes all the best and most elegant of the tribe, and although 
there arc many others which have great merit, the airy grace, 
which is the chief distinction of the family, may be obtained by 
employing a comparatively limited number of species. 
Much of the success, from an ornamental point of view, nuist 
depend upon the surroundings of the plants. Background is of 
the utmost consequence, and I know none better suited to 
Bamboos than that afforded by a fine group of hollies. The 
dainty green foliage and elegant curves of the one are set off to 
