Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1897-03-11
MAGNIFICENT SPECIMENS
Of the Southern Bamboo Attract
ing Attention.
IMPORTED IN QUANTITIES
From Foreign Countries While the Finest that
Grows Can Be Found in the
Gulf States.

A gentleman of our city, who has had
the benefit of much experience, today
made to State Herald representative
the Statement:
"Alabama's development is very incon-
siderable as yet, compared to what can
and will be attained in the next genera
ton or two, and when say that, re-
fer to general development and not to
that CT the iron and coal districts
alone. Don't you know that southern
Alabama presents first-class opportuni-
ties for the profitable growing of bam-
boo? In proof of what l state, VIII SUD
init the following matter relative to bam-
boo growing that you and your readers
may judge for yourselves of 1t, ana GER
tainly all know immense quanuNes Oh
bamboo are annually imported from lot-
eign countries"
The cultivation of bamboo in the south
ern states for profit has been attempted
in recent years Notwithstanding the
&c neral belief that bamboo can be raised
only in the tropical countries, there are
several species that can be grown sue
cessfuily in all of our southern states,
and few are hardy as far norm as New
York. These latter, of course, can DE
raised only as ornamental plants ana
not for profit.
In Florida handsome clumps of bam-
boo are already becoming striking fea-
lures. In south Florida, especially
around Fort Meyers, the large, unarmed
bamboo of Bengal fiourishes on many
estates, and ii grows at such a rapid rate
shat stories concerning it seem almost in
credible. In Bengal it attains height of
severity feet, but in the cooler climate
of Florida, where night frosts OCCASION
ally retard its growth, the average height
may be put at from fifty to sixty feet.
There are exceptions, however, to this,
for in Orange county there is clump
ten years old which towers more than
sixty-five feet above the ground, with
stalks thirteen inches in circumference,
and over eighty. canes to the clump.
AT the top of this gigantic bamboo clus-
ter the circumference is over 120 feet.
While this is probably the finest speci-
men of bamboo in this country. it is not
by any means the only one worthy of no
tice. There are others only slightly in
ferior to it in size and splendor. About
five years ago d great number of speci-
mems of the bamboo of Bengal were
planted in various parts of Florida, and
in that time they have-attained a height
of thirty and forty feet To attain this
result the soil must be fortified heavily
This famous bamboo is the best for build
Ing purposes and for making the light
spars of vessels and yachts. The de-
mand for such stalks is good and consid-!
cradle quantities are imported annually.
More recently specimens of Dendroca-
Janus Strictus have been planted in
Florida, and are perfectly a home in
that state, as well as in all the gulf
states. This is the mightiest of bamboos
reaching height of over 100 feet in In
dia. 1t has not been growing in the
south long enough yet to show what 10
can do there. One feature of its growth
is that 1t will succeed on the uplands,
or dry pine-lands, while most of the 9TH
er bamboos require low, moist soil 1t
will endure more cold than most of the
large species of bamboo, and when it has
unrestricted possession of piece of
ground, 1t proceeds to form a dense for
est, from which bamboo stalks of all
sizes and lengths can be cut annually.
The strength and solidity of the wood of
this species render IL suitable for the
best binet work. Its extensive cult
walton in the gulf states would undoubt-
eddy lead to the development of indus
tries never before attempted in this
country. Bamboo chairs and furniture
are made chiefly in China and japan,
but with the raw material at hand in
our own country there would be no need
to import such articles.
3. Argentea Strata will thrive as far
north as the Carolinas but above that
point its success is questionable The
stalks of this species gain a height in
time of fifteen to twenty years, and they
spread out like fan, making a pctur-
esque object for the front lawn. In Flori-
da it has never been injured by frost not
even in the freeze Of two years ago, when
many of the orange trees were killed
The foliage is a bright green, beautifully
striped with a lighter shade of green
and yellow.
In the tropics and the Oriental world
the bamboos are considered the most
valuable ofall woody growths, and in this
country they could be put to an endless
variety of uses. There is always a de-
mand for them here to make telescope
fishing poles, canes, umbrella handles,
baskets, picture-frames. easels, furniture.
cabinets, and a thousand and ona, other
articles. They are used in their native
countries for building and for drinking
vessels. Each section of large cane
forms a water-vessel. the joint making
also made by leaying both joints entire
and by boring a bunghole in the, middle