Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-06-11
BAMBOO CULTURE.
Why Not fntrossuce the Plant for Cunirs-
ticn In Thu. Sountrys

Why Not tntressace the Plant Tor cuni~s-
ticn In Thi. Countrys
THE DEPARTMENT o. AGRTCCLTURs
- recommends the cultivation Of the hanlho.o
for economical purposes IN the United States.
Asuggestion 30 the same eject & conveyed IN
recent letter from Mr.. Charles Heath. consul to
Sicily. He says that the plant could be grown
in this country a. far north ~ New York. snd
would doubtless prove hardy throughou; Cali
fornia and the southern states Sicilisn farners
consider IL their best paying crop. and grow 10
sbundsntly on otherwise worthless wet hand.
utilizing for the purpose borders Of fields,
brooks. swamp holes. kc.
The bamboo Is perennial plant. dyinr 70 the
ground each year snd producing n fresh growth
in the spring. N Is propsgnted from cuttings
Of the roots. Marketable canes are prcducsd in
one year, and plantation yields Tor dozen
years, requiring no cultivation. single plaat
gives Ave or six canes thirty feet hong. tho
stock becoming stoutcr each wear. The died
canes, being very light. stiff nnd jurnlde. fur
nish material for fencing. p'ofing. fish poles,
grape and bean poles. Spit. tbcy are utilized
for laths and in the manufacture " woven
hampers and baskets.
CULTIVATED IN TEE UNITED STATES.
In the United States the bamboo is cultivated
10 small extent. but only for ornamental Yur-
poses. There are NJ least ten species --natives
OF China, Japan and the Himala, which may
reasonably be expected TO thrive In the miller
ATTITUDES " this country. Two u these have
been found to be hardy even in New England.
number Of SUCCESSFUL bamboo planLa-
tions have already been established In south
ern California. One of them. belonging D. Gen.
Il. W. kirkham Of Oakland. Is twcnty-foar ssrrs
old The canes grown on IT, originally obtained
from Chinese stock, made n growth Of ~ much
NJ thirty five feet In one season. In oth-- parts
OF the state the Indian bamboo. which attain a
height OF Atty feet il successfully grown and
has been found capable Of enduring a t.nlp.ta-
ture OF zero. At the semi tropical exhibiti,n
at ocala. Fla, collection Of bamboo stems big
enough Tor fence rails WIS shown by lee county
in that state.
Bamboos have a wide distribution CLIMATE
callv, and range In latitude from the sea Level
70 io,ooo and even II. 900 feet gu the Hiruaiayas
They appear TO flourish best in warm. moist
climates, though in many cases. especially IA
| regions subject to drought, they seek SHADED
raSines and valleys with cool atInc-l herr. FOR
best development they require n deep. moist.
loose. rich soil. Secretary Rusk. in has annual
report just issued. saws that ''few extra-trcpicai
plants indicate. IN their ability 60 endure thu
rigors Of their native climate. greater chance
OF successful introduction into tins country
than the bsmboos" A number Of Asistic -l,e-
cies occur as far north the fcrtieth parallel.
Suitable conditions may be supplied. ~ l. al
ready done In southern California. by irrigation.
particularly in the southwest. where barlbOos
would be regarded ~ very desirable.
MANY KINDS or BAsBoos.
The bsmboos belong TO the true gras.es ana
comprise about twenty genera. with nearly 200
species About fifteen genera, Of which those
called "Bambua," "Arundinaria- "Arundo"
"Dendrocalainus" and '.Gusdusr are the most
important, constitute the more or less arbo-
| .,aA s.n
OF the genus "Bambusa,- perhaps the most
valuable economically, there are fcrry-sik
| species. Thirty of these are found In the old
world, fifteen In South America and one in Africa.
single species. "Bambuss vulenr1s, Is oosulo-
politan and widely distributed by cultivation
The genus "Arundinaria" includes about twenty
species, two of which the only canes native
to North America, occurring In the southern
states and tnnorthern Mexico. One Of thom forms
the cane-brakes Of Florida In size bsmboos
| range from ten to $50 feet in height and from
| one inch b two feet in diameter OF the sixty
species indigenous 70 the Chinese empire only
six or seven are cultivated for econansc pur-
poses.
Bamboos are utilized for the making of
masks, RATS, water pipes, ship rigging, caru,
boxes, mats. cordage and pAper. Furniturs
manufactured from The Stems - vexy usodh IN
fashion juss st present
FOOD mon BAnboos.
The plants also furnish valuable suypnes Of
food. few species have . berry-hke frrnt aud
the seeds Of other kinds resemble doe especially
when cooked, having about the same market
value. The young and tender shoots are CUT
Tor fodder, and such deliosse portions Of one or
two Japanese species srs cooked and eaten IKE
asparagus.
These plants are gregaraous In habit, their
numerous stems rising In dense and irnpcne-
trable masses. As the shoots mature canes are
cut down from year 20 year. new ones con
stantly spring up. The rate ut which some kinds
grow IL astonishing. An Indian species, called
the 'Dendrooalsmus giSanteus''-meauing
giant pen tree"-eometirnss attains q height
OF forty feet in many DAYS A record IL given
for even two Rnd half feet in q DAY, and Gen
kirkham has . record Of eight inches Of growth
per diem his California plauts-
ton. The myriad uses found for bamboo
| In China, japan and other regions re-
quire greater supply than can Do derived
from natural propagation. supplies Of bamboo
seeds for planting difficult 20 obtain, ~ the
plants seed rarely, sometimes NOT ofiener tltal
every twenty-five even sixty years, and few
Of the most useful kinds grown in japan are
said never to seed The seeds. moreover are
exceedingly difficult TO germinste. and hence
the plants are propsgated almost exclusively
from root cuttings, eyes aud otfsets-