34 BULLETIN" 1329^ U. S. DEPAETMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
who probably gives little or no thought to the trees and shrubs that 
he rushes past, pauses with astonishment and frequently with awe 
as the towering culms of the giant grass come into view on the Ogee- 
chee Koad leading out of Savannah, Ga. This is the Barbour 
Lathrop grove, many of the culms being now 60 feet or more high. 
A man entering such a grove for the first time is like an ant entering 
a wheat field, never having been in such a place before. The ant, 
accustomed to moving on smooth ground or in short gi*ass, suddenly 
finds itself in a new world where ever^^thing is out of proportion. 
Let us first speak of bamboos as garden plants. For anyone 
loving novelty and the great charm of trying new things the bamboo 
garden is to be unqualifiedly commended. In garden culture the 
plants are not difficult to grow. Each kind has its peculiarities, 
its whims, and its wants. Some are shy and easily kept within 
bounds. Others are bold, aggressive, and unless carefully watched 
not only overwhelm their neighbors but will take possession of the 
walks and roadways and even force their way into jour kitchen or 
bedroom. All these things add to the interest in gTowing them 
and taming them. 
As most bamboos are intolerant of cold it is in the milder parts of 
the country where bamboo gardens may be most highly developed. 
The South Atlantic and Gulf Coast States, California, and parts of 
Oregon give the widest scope for such development. Bamboo gar- 
dens may, of course, be maintained even as far north as AVashington, 
D. C, but the number of species and kinds that may be utilized 
will be limited in these colder sections. 
Henry Xehrling, of Naples, Fla., one of the pioneers in growing 
bamboos in this countr}^ and a great lover of these plants, has devoted 
a good part of a lifetime to their introduction and study. In speak- 
ing of bamboos for landscape effect Mr. Nehrling says : 
There is nothing that can compare with them in distinctness, in thrilling 
beauty and picturesqueness. The palm is the prince of the plant world and 
the bamboo everywhere is its close companion. Where we find the former 
we may look for the latter. It takes 10 to 15 and even 20 years to grow a 
palm into a fine tall specimen. 
The bamboo is a very conspicuous object in a few years, and at the age 
of 5 or 6 years it forms an impressive feature in the landscape. It grows 
everywhere with equal vigor, and its demands on the soil are few and easy 
to satisfy. While the palm is an aristocrat, looking best in close proximity 
to pretentious buildings and in large parklike grounds, the bamboo hides the 
small unsightly cabins and plain cottages and imbues them with as much 
beauty as the costly mansion of the wealthy. In parks clumps of bamboo look 
exceedingly rich and indescribably beautiful. What pictures of refined beauty 
the landscape gardener would be able to create with these giant grasses in 
the large parks of our northern cities if they were available to cultivation 
there ! But, alas, they are not hardy and can only be grown successfully in 
our southernmost States and in California. Our southern parks and pleasure 
grounds should abound in them. They should be in every garden ; at least 
one good specimen. Along lakes and streams they have no equal, their arching, 
wandlike stems hanging over the water in graceful masses. They look well 
as isolated specimens on the lawn, but they look better still in the foreground 
of noble evergreens, like Magnolia grancUflora, the Himalayan Cuprcssus toru- 
Josa, and our southern red cedar. A bench under a large bamboo is an ideal 
resting place after the day's work is over. 
And how charming it is when the glowing and graceful redbirds hurry 
through the green masses of foliage and stems or when the jocund mocking 
bird pours forth its sprightly notes, from the top of a tall clump. The iris 
is frequently called the " orchid of the poor." With the same right we might 
