bamboos: their culture and uses 3 
The clumps sent to the Tevis phice were planted in the open 
ground in January, when it was cold, and although the best of care 
was given them most of the plants died. The Chico shipment was 
put in a greenhouse and carefully nursed. Heat was supplied and 
plenty of water given. These plants came through in fair shape, 
and the bulk of them was shipped to the new garden at Brooksville, 
Fla., established in 1909 primarily for the purpose of taking care 
of the bamboo work. 
From 1909 to the present time many of the bamboo importations 
of the department have been sent to Brooksville, but most of them 
have not thrived there. The soil is unsuited to the needs of bamboos ; 
the temperature variations, especially in winter, are trying; and 
certain enemies brought in with some of the original shipments 
have developed to such an extent that it has been deemed unsafe to 
propagate and distribute the more valuable forms from that place. 
For the past 10 years, therefore, bamboo culture in this country has 
been practically at a standstill. A great deal of valuable pioneer 
work has been done, however, and the real problems confronting 
the department are better understood. It can no longer look to 
quantity importations of plants to build up our stocks. The risks 
in this kind of work are entirely too great ; hence the rigid quar- 
antine regulations which have been established. 
It appears that most of the forms likely to fit into our economic 
needs are already in this country. These are widely scattered, and 
some of them are suffering from certain insects and diseases, prob- 
ably brought in with them. It is of paramount importance for the 
future of these crops that the best types for the several economic 
needs be collected and grown under conditions that will insure clean, 
vigorous stocks, so that from them mass propagation can be carried 
on, thus extending the plantations until there is material enough 
to warrant the encouragement of those who might be interested 
in the many lines of utilization of the product. The primary object 
of this bulletin is to call attention to these matters and to indicate 
some of the lines of action that must be followed to bring about 
a proper understanding of the economic possibilities of the plants. 
In this connection it may be well to say a few words regarding 
attempts at bamboo culture in regions comparable to some extent to 
our own Southern and Pacific Coast States. As already pointed out, 
only two native species are found in the whole of North America. 
In Europe there are no native bamboos at all. Those found in the 
southern part of Europe and on the shores of the Mediterranean, in 
North Africa, and in England have all been introduced. They have 
been grown, propagated, and studied in these countries for about a 
hundred years, but so far it can be said they do not play a very im- 
portant part in the economics of crop production in any of them. 
One traveling along the coast of southern France from Hyeres to 
Cap d'Antibes sees many examples of introduced bamboos in gardens 
and villas, but they appear to be grown largely for ornament. This 
is a notable horticultural region, where many tender plants are 
grown for the markets of Europe and America. Acres of sheds are 
used for protecting these plants, and millions of stakes are required 
to hold them upright. The bamboo does not appear to play any part 
in this development as yet. A partial explanation of the nonuse of 
