820 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
August 24, 1895. 
milder in winter than ours. Thanks to Mr. 
Freeman-Mitford and other pioneers who 
have been placing matters in their true 
light with regard to the hardiness or other¬ 
wise of Bamboos in England. While 
reading a paper on this subject at the last 
meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society, 
Mr. Mitford mentioned over forty species 
and varieties that are suitable for outdoor 
cultivation in this country. Of course the 
more tender ones require to be planted in 
favourable situations. Shelter from winds 
both in summer and winter, but especially 
the latter, is highly conducive to their wel¬ 
fare and one of the principal conditions to 
be observed. A good supply of moisture 
at the root is also necessary while growth 
is being made, both because, like most 
other grasses, Bamboos do not root very 
deeply, and make very rapid growth in 
summer. We refer of course to the strong 
suckers which annually arise from the 
horizontal rootstock, and run up at an 
amazing rate. 
An abbreviated report of Mr. Mitford’s 
paper is given on another page, so that we 
refer our readers to it for further informa¬ 
tion on a subject which that enthusiastic 
amateur has made peculiarly his own for 
many years past, and whose statements 
may be regarded as authentic. A few 
more cultivators of his stamp would not 
only render Bamboo culture popular, but 
would clear up many obscure facts in rela¬ 
tion to the natural history and science of 
those noble grasses. For the past few 
years a fine collection has been got together 
in the Bamboo garden at Kew, and we now 
proceed to mention some of the observa¬ 
tions we have made upon the same. Near 
the west end of the Rhododendron dell a 
space was cleared of the tall Beech, Oak, 
and other trees growing there, and the soil 
prepared for Bamboos. The plants are 
now well established, and the severity of 
the past winter put their hardiness to a 
severe test. Just after fresh growth com¬ 
menced in the early part of summer, we 
noted the amount of injury caused by the 
frost. Wind could not have exercised a 
great amount of influence, as the Bamboo 
garden is a little below the general level of 
the garden, and completely surrounded by 
tall deciduous trees. Several of the species 
showed little or no injury at all ; while the 
upper branches of others looked rather 
naked. Since then, however, even those 
naked shoots have mostly clothed them¬ 
selves with foliage of beautiful and delicate 
tints of green, such as are hardly to be met 
with amongst other classes of plants. For 
slender gracefulness and elegance we ven¬ 
ture to state that no other class of shrubs 
in British gardens can equal several of the 
Bamboos represented in this collection. 
Many large bushes of Phyllostachys 
viridi-glaucescens are eight to ten feet high, 
and of compact habit, owing to the number 
and fineness of the greenish-yellow twigs. 
The lance-shaped leaves are small and also 
numerous. The species is a native of 
North China, and does not seem to have 
suffered in the least from last winter. The 
Japanese P. aurea has green and greenish- 
yellow straight stems and branches, rather 
thinly disposed, but all the more character¬ 
istic and graceful for that. The upper 
twigs only appeared hurt in spring, but 
hardly show it now. The leaves are two 
to four inches long. The stems of P. nigra 
grow six to ten feet in height, and though 
green in the younger stages they ultimately 
become black and conspicuous by contrast 
with the green and yellow-stemmed kinds. 
The leaves are small, and the habit is 
moderately dense. It is a native of Japan, 
as is P. mitis, which early in the year 
appeared considerably injured, but now 
shows little trace of it. The stems vary 
from ten to eighteen feet in height, and 
must therefore be much more exposed to 
cutting winds than the dwarfer species. 
The prettiest and most graceful of all we 
have noted is Arundinaria nitida, a native 
of China, and here growing to a height of 
3 to 8 ft., with numerous, slender and 
much branched stems, giving the plant a 
dense and bushy appearance of surpassing 
beauty and elegance. The stems are black, 
theleaveslance-shaped,glaucousand2to3in. 
long. Planted in several positions, even under 
trees, it is evidently perfectly hardy, and 
grows as freely in shade as in more open 
situations. A. japonica is better known in 
gardens, perhaps, than any of the above, 
but chiefly as Bambusa Metake. It forms 
a dense-habited bush about 3 to 9 ft. high, 
and has large dark green leaves which give 
the plant a massive appearance. The 
taller plants are the most ornamental, 
because the more slender of the branches 
then assume a drooping habit. A. Simonii 
towers up to a height of 10 or 15 ft., and 
though a native of Japan gets quite as 
much hurt by severe winters like the past 
as Phjdlostachys mitis does. At this time 
of the year, however, one is liable to forget 
the fact owing to the recuperation it under¬ 
goes by the putting forth of fresh leaves on 
the naked branches. The dwarf Arundin¬ 
aria Fortunei aurea appears to carpet the 
ground by comparison with its giant con¬ 
geners. A mulching of manure over the 
ground and around the plants serves not 
only to retain the soil moisture, but to feed 
the plants. 
We cannot overlook the value of Bamboos 
for pot culture and conservatory decoration. 
They might be largely used for the same 
purpose as Palms are at the present day. 
Many charming effects could be produced 
by them. Even those who cannot well 
afford them houseroom in winter might 
grow them in sheltered places in the reserve 
garden, and lift and pot them before growth 
commences in spring. They are amenable 
for forcing even when they have been lifted 
from the open ground in this way. Gar¬ 
deners and owners alike would do well to 
largely extend the cultivation of Bamboos, 
planting them in sheltered situations and 
along the sides of water courses, where they 
would be beautiful from association and 
more ornamental than the most graceful of 
our Willows. 
-■ » - 
A white Canna has been raised by Mr. Antoine 
Wintzer, of Wesi Grove, Philadelphia. It is not so 
white as this paper but nearly so. 
Royal Horticultural Society.—The next fruit and 
floral meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society 
will be held on Tuesday, August 27th, in the Drill 
Hall, James Street, Victoria Street, Westminster. 
At three o'clock a paper by Mr. C. F. Bause, on 
Crotons and Dracaenas, will be read. 
Royal Botanic Society.—As the Gardens have only 
been open to the public for some six Mondays since 
June last, it is, perhaps too early to say whether the 
new departure will be a success or not, but the 
cheering report presented this year—the most satis¬ 
factory one for some years past—gives every 
encouragement to persevere. 
Window Garden Society.—The eighth annual flower 
show of this society was held on the 8th inst. in the 
churchyard of St. George’s-in-the-East. That its 
existence had not been in vain was shown by the 
fact that no fewer than 400 people, adults and 
children, had entered the various competitions. 
Mr. Chaplin had expressed his surprise and delight 
that such flowers could be grown in a part of London 
where flowers were almost unknown. 
Eulbs for the Parks.—Messrs. James Carter & 
Co., High Holborn, have again been honoured with 
the commands of Her Majesty’s First Commissioner 
of Works to supply the bulbs for the Royal Parks 
of London, and have also received a similar favour 
from the London County Council for the Parks, 
Gardens, and open spaces under their control. 
Shipley Hall, Derby.—The many friends of the 
able andpopular gardener at this establishment will be 
rejoiced to learn that the doctors are expecting to get 
Mr. Elphinstone's sight restored in the course of a 
few days, and that his general health will not be 
permanently injured from the serious accident of last 
week. 
Sales of growing fruit.—At a hard fruit sale just 
held at Paddock Wood, over 600 acres of Apples, 
Pears, Plums, Damsons, and nuts were put up to 
public competition. Almost all of the eighty-two 
lots offered were sold, while the auctioneers have 
since succeeded in disposing of most of the few that 
were not sold under the hammer, bringing the total 
amount realised up to about £ 8,000. /50 an acre was 
made, while several large plantations fetched £40. 
A twenty-seven acre piece in the “ old hay ” growth 
sold for /700. 
Champion Vegetable Growers.—Mr. J. H. Busbridge, 
Secretary to the Ridmersham (near Sittingbourne), 
Horticultural Society, who holds the Champion 
Vegetable Grower's Belt for Kent and Sussex, and 
challenges all similar societies, has fourteen entries 
and fees ; so it is confidently anticipated there will 
be a tremendous fight for the championship on the 
28th and 29th August next, and without doubt there 
will be the finest vegetables there perhaps ever seen. 
Those that are desirous of seeing such in perfection 
should pay a visit. 
Tree set on fire by lightning.—During the thunder¬ 
storm of Saturday night the 10th inst. the lightning 
struck a large Elm tree in Hyde Park by the side 
of the Serpentine and near the Serpentine Bridge 
and set it on fire. When your correspondent visited 
the spot on Monday about 4 p.m. the tree had been 
cut down and lopped and workmen were busy sawing 
it into sections. The inside of the tree was quite 
hollow and rotten near the base and the fire in it was 
still burning—in fact inside the bottom section it 
■was as hot as an ordinary oven—the marks of the 
electric current where it had entered the earth were 
clearly visible, and the sight altogether was a 
curiosity and one not to be easily forgotten.— J. D. D. 
Sheffield Chrysanthemum Society.—The August 
meeting of the society was held at the Museum, 
Orchard Street, on Wednesday, the 14th inst., under 
the presidency of Mr. F. W. Littlewood. There was a 
good attendance of members. The exhibits were 
Tomatos for professionals,and cut Roses for amateurs. 
The judging and staging were satisfactory. The 
chief interest centred in a capital paper by Mr. 
Welch, of Retford, on “ Renovating old Vines.” It 
was clear, practical, and entertaining, and a long 
discussion ensued on the various points dealt with. 
Mr. Welch, who repeatedly answered questions, was 
at the close accorded very warm thanks, and after a 
vote to the chairman, the meeting was brought to a 
close. 
The Fruit Harvest.—The Greengage harvest will 
probably commence in a fortnight in Cambridge¬ 
shire and, so far, it promises well. A drive through 
some plantations a day or two ago in the neighbour¬ 
hood of Histon revealed numbers of heavily laden 
branches bending to the ground with their weight of 
fruit. Fruit growing has largely increased in this 
district of late years, and within ten miles of Histon 
railway station there are now some 3,000 acres of 
fruit, about 2,000 of which have been planted within 
the last twenty years. Some growers, such as 
Messrs. Chivers, boil their fruit into jam on the 
spot: others send it to market. Down at Histon 
they laugh at the idea that only Kent can 
grow Strawberries, for there are broad acres of 
them at Histon, and acres of Raspberries also. 
Worthing will have to look to its laurels in the 
