The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-01-19 00:00:00

THE PAMPAS GRASS.

The windows of all shops where floral decorating is
made a business were during the Christmas season,
and still are, ornamented with magnificent plumes
of a white silky gram taken from plants of
the Pampas grass (Graerium argenteum). These
beautiful plumes come from Germany, where they
appear to grow finer than they do in this country, and
they are carefully bleached before being sent here.
They are sometimes dyed in beautiful colour!, but
these are unnatural—as there is but one variety of it.
It is nearly forty years ago when this plant was in-
troduced to English gardens. It is found in a state
of nature inhabiting the vast Pampas (whence its
name) of Buenos Ayres, level plains extending for
hundreds of miles in La Plata, and reaching from
near the shores of the Atlantic to the foot of the
Andes. On these immense plains, which contain
but few varieties of plants, and scarcely any trees
or shrubs, vegetation is exposed at times to ex-
treme alternations of drought and floods, the
Pampas presenting all the appearance at certain
seasons of dry and parched vegetation, and at other
times of almost unequalled verdure. The perbd of
blooming in this country eorrespoods with the summer
of its native land, and we may infer from its native
habitat that a sunny *pen exposure, with a dry state
of the roots, while in a dormant state, and an abundant
supply of moisture while growing, will very nearly
approximate to the oondltion of its native climate. .
Although the Pampas grata Is not very particular
about soil, provided it be open, yet to ensure a rapid
growth a deep rich soil, well manured, will be kund
desirable. The plant should likewise be very liberally
supplied with water during the period of active
growth. The situation should be one fully exposed
to the sun, with a fairly dry subsoil, and as mush as
possible sheltered from high winds, which will some-
times break off the flower stems when young,
and thus rob the plant of a portion of its natural
beauty. The plant ceases to grow after Novem-
ber, and the frosts of winter induce a state of rest, and
may brown and even kill the upper parts of the leaves,
in exposed places, down to the stem; ?mail the subsoil
is dry no harm will happen, and on the return of warm
weather a fresh growth will eommenoe. The plant
increases itself in bulk by forming a large inerestee of
stoles, i.e., suckers or shoots given forth from the roots
of a plant. These form new bundles of leaves, and
so with good treatment a plant soon becomes a large
specimen.
The Pampas grass flowers so late in this country,
and the damp weather follows so soon after blooming,
that it is very seldom indeed that seed is fully matured
in this country. We, however, get some from France,
Germany and Italy; it is sown on the surface of broad
pans or boxes, filled with sandy pest. It is necessary to
keep the soil moist, and the pans ohs/sled from the sun;
the young plants soon appear, and they are pricked out
into other pans till; they are large enough for trans-
ferring to the open ground. Botanists describe the
Gynerinrn as being dicecious, sor having male and
female flowers on different plants; the male flowers
being wanting in size and brilliancy of colour, any
plants found producing them should be destroyed, as
the propagation of the female or more ornamental
variety is easily effected, and plant', only from this
kind should be made use of. —Land and Water.