April i, 1892.] 
THE TROPICAL AQRIOULTURIST- 
757 
THE GIA^’T BAMBOO IN ELOWEU. 
Dr. Trimer, Director of the Royal Botartioal 
Gardena of Ceylon, having seen our nolioe of aoma 
Btalks of the “giant bamboo” having flowered at 
Abbotsford, asked for speoimena, as he had never 
aeon the infloteacence in its fresh state. We aoeord- 
ingly, before returning from a recent viait to the 
estate, had speoimena despatohed. We oxpreassd 
some doubt as to the flowering being quite normal, 
because only a few stems out of probably oua 
hundred in a dense clump had blossomed. But 
from Dr. Trimen'a report which we append, it will 
be seen that the flowers are quite natural 
“ Per denijn, Feb. 26th. 
“The speoimens of Giant Bamboo reached me 
yesterday afternoon. There is nothing abnormal about 
them ; they ate the natural flowers, and I have ex- 
amined them with much interost, as I have never 
before seen them in a fresh state. Our numerous 
plants at Peradeniya were all derived by division 
of one received from the Calcutta Gardena in ltf56 
and still growing hero; but none liave ever shown 
any disposition to flower. I am told, however, that 
about five years back a clump nt Nawalapitiya pro- 
duced flowers, but 1 did uot get nn opportunity tf 
seeing it. . . . ■ .u 
“ There is some difficulty m asoertaming the 
native country of this fine bamboo, ])endrocalamiis 
qnjantem. Wallioh ohtuned the original plant in the 
Calcutta Garden from Penang, and Kurz states that 
it glows only et ‘Malacca and adjacent Islands.’ 
Munro, the monographer of the bamboos, gives also 
Tennasserim, on tho authority ol Dr. Brandis,- but 
Kurz saye ttiis is incorroot. Tliis latter botanist has 
however a Burmese species, which he calls Defldro- 
oiitamus /Iranilisii, ‘ common in tropical forests ol 
Pegu and Mataban up to 3,500 fr.,’ which is probably 
the same and our plant. 
“In the Calcutta Garden, where it was introduced m 
18.61, it (lid not flower till 1861, and tho plant though 
weakened did not die j we may hopo therefore that 
this is not one of tt oac kinds which mocumb to the 
elfort of flowering. It will he moat iiiteresling to see 
if tho Abbotsford plant ripune seed, and I hope it 
will be carefully watched aud all the awe d sowed.” 
We are very glad, indeed, to be the means of 
enabling Dr. Trimen to seo and examine fresh 
blosaoras of a very interesting plant. We have 
always regarded Burma as the habitat of this 
grandest of tho bamboos, tho lato Mr. John 
Armitage having reported after a visit to the 
rice region ol Pegu that there sections of tho stems 
were used as grain measures and vessels for 
carrying water. In Darjiling we saw seolions 
of a closely allied species, Dindrocalamut JIamil- 
tonl (which is also grown on Abbotsford, 
from seed sent by Mr. Gammio), employed by 
the Bhooteas to carry milk and butter to market, 
and also for holding supplies of tho mild beer which 
many of them imbibe made from crushed 
grains ol kurakkan with water poured on it and 
allowed to ferment in tho bamboo seotions, which 
the beer-drinkers carry slung over their necks. 
We got plants of the giant bamboo from Peradeniya 
about the middle of 1871 ; so that the stems which 
have flowered on the banks of the Dimbuldanda 
oya at an elevation of 4,4C0_feot above sea level 
were between 17 and 18 years of ago. At the 
elevation mentioned the growth and size of stem 
ate quite equal to what osn bo aeon at Peradeniya 
or in tho Pavilion grounds at Kandy ; while nt an 
altitude of 6.200 feet on the summit of “ Knock 
Ferrol,” tho height and cironmlerenoe of the stems 
are not very greatly diminished. Split, seasoned and 
properly prepared, sterna of the giant batnboo have 
pioved useful as water spouts aud as substitutes for 
tiles,— tarred in this latter case. Of eourse they could 
bo employed for a variety of structural purposes, 
and at Peradeniya they are largely used as 
flower-pots. It may bs interesting to state that 
eeotions of tho stems, well seasoned, and the 
outside siliceous oovoring well cleaned aud polished, 
are favourite substitutes lor canvas with lady 
artists. Wo prize very much a section on whiob 
a lady visitor to Abbotsford paiotod two of the most 
prominent of our flowers, — strong contrasts in form 
and colour, — tho snow-white “lily of the Nile ” 
arum and the orange and scarlet “ hot poker." 
A largo stem was oat down daring out recent 
visit to meet requisitions from lady ainataurs. 
The clump whiah has blossomed is one of two which 
flank a pretty bridge, aud up through the centre of 
one, a blue gum tree grows aud flourishes, 
specimens growing in a ravine and around a lakelet 
are magnifloent in growth aud size ol stems, while 
the curving downwards of Ihe feathery foliage at the 
I all summit branches of the groups has an exquisitely 
beautiful effect. In Java, where the prevalence of 
eatlhquakes renders bamboo houses a necessity, 
the life of such a building is csloulated at twelve 
years. This is surely an encouragement to use 
giant or other bamboos for estate linos, cattle 
sheds and out-houses. Indeed we see nothing 
impossible in a factory and drying bouse of giant 
bamboo. 
ARE LARGE OR SMALL HOLDINGS 
DESIRABLE ? 
MILDCBA SCHEME — SMALL PABMB — PEBPETOAL STALL- 
FEKmNO OF CATTLE — NECESSITY OP CONSTANT LADOCB 
--WOIiKINO I-OR IIIBF.— HARVEST TIME — TENDENCY 
OF FARMERS TO IDLE— PIECE OR TASK WORK — 
FUBLODOHS — MARKET G-ARDENINO— VALUE OF LAND— 
peocliahutes op miludba profitable investment 
— EXCESSIVE POPULATION AND SUBDIVISION OF PRO- 
PKBIY. 
Melbourne, Jan. 26th, 1892. 
With reference to Mildura or any oilier eimilar 
project of small h.fldii>gs with “ intense culture " 1 
think a few notes tivkou from u book entitled “ A Flea 
for Peasant Proprietors'' byW. T. Tbornton, o.b , 
would bo of interest. lie says " However, ainoe 
political economy was raised by Adam Bmilli to the 
dignity of a soieuoe, its Britiali professors have been 
almost unanimously of opinion that siimll farms are 
incompatible with the prosperity either of agiioulture 
or of agricultural latourers. 1. «iid, they assert, cannot 
be properly cultivated unlosa it be hold in large 
quantities by men of capital, nor can its cultivators 
be in a satisfactory condition unless they be hired 
servants, and chiefly independent for subeistenoe on 
tho wages they receive. Tho eroiuent men by whom 
this notion has been promulgated have supported it 
by many ingenious and plausible argamente ; nor has 
their advocacy beeu cuuflnod to theoreticsl reasoning. 
They have ventured to appeal to expecionoe aud obser- 
vation, and have been able tc point to several facts, 
which, at first sight, and until carefully examined, 
seem to justify their views.” lie gues ou to show 
that these facts were ; — the undeniable piogceea in 
agriculture, arrangement of land, and regular labour 
to those who.TO aucestors had been depilvod of their 
lands. Then the produce of small farms may preserve 
its occupier and his tamiiy from downright starvation, 
but it will pruveut him from accnmulaling stock, this 
agaiu will rot him of the help of aniina’s in the 
workrf tho farm. Tbou the same individual has to do 
everythiug hinuolf— instead ol benefiting by division 
of labour and the skill of speoialist experts in Ibo dif- 
ferent lines. Th n there is the temptation of idlenesB; 
also Ihe habit or necessity ot going to market for 
petty sales, thus not ouly wasting lime but beiug 
exposed to ;empt.vtiou of dissipation, cxtiavogauoe 
Sea. Also periods of to work or slack work would b 
a source of temptation. 
Well the Flemish calculation of holdings gave rise to 
theBritish election party cry of'Thrce acres apd a cow." 
