Lecture on Bamboo: Neither free nor Shrub But Grate A-well attended meeting of the China Society of Science and Axts was held on Saturday after Moon at the house of Mr. and Mrs. G. A. Bona, 90 Jesslield Road. 'After tea had been. served Professor W. M.—Portorfiold of Bt. John's University. gave a, very' interesting talk upon Bamboo," presenting many points now, to] most of his audience in a clear and graphic manner. and illustrate ing fig remarks with charts and To begin with Professor Porter field "stated that bamboo naithorw tree nor w shrub,, but a roo gase, and us, such, the oldest
he whole bamboo plant is nota Topresontativo of the gray family. tingle culm with its basal roots, but hindredy of these culms. underground. radial store, all connestod under the surface," and this is the reason why a bamboo reo will not grow along, 90 that 2 grove of bamboo say' be con ridered as one main growth.
The rapid growth of the bam-oe was "nuontioned, "the Ieeturcr™ saying that. bumboos reach their' full height in from] 44 to 00 days. The square ban-'Doomspecimens of which were height of 40 fect in 44 days and] the, ginnt. Irunoo. is almost like Tnok'y beanstalie in its rapid in: reuse, the. record. growth. being '44 millimeters in a single day.
Some species of bamboo flower yearly, but the more. ordinary} Yowering of this unusual grass li only once in 32 or 39. years and after such a late" blooming the Guim turns yellow and di Mo all grates: Another pee out thin" wee grass amboos. in widely. separated pplaceg will flower simultaneously Dine endorsing Professor. Porter: field's contention that the family the nit of bamboo life and] that thes. brother and sister trees, although now for distant from' arch effier, came originally from the amo mother plant. Tndig during the faming of 1864 the bamboos flowered generally! fand furnished eustenanco from] Gheiy seeds for ubout, 0,000 per:
"At the claro of the lecture many questions were naked iby the ap-Precintivs nudienes and a final Yoto of thanks to the speaker Was proposed by Mr. AL de Sowerby.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.