The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1868-02-15
Hisrsliane0us.
The Useful eSnln b 90.


there is none in tho vegetable world that excite,
more establishment than tho COMMON bamboo o.
the East Indies, and We, with Il spontaneous I'M
pulse, share the enthusiasm VI the traveller and
Eavant, Marion, from whose great work We de-
dacs many Of the facts we here repeat.
The bamboo il Godseud to commerce and
manufactures. The East Indian finds it u por-
ton of his food. his household implements. and
stalks which. although very light, are capable OF
resistance superior to that of very heavy wood
of the same volume. Often, in the course OF
tropical sea voyages, under the rays Of vertical
sun, trunks Of thick bamboo have served ~
casks to keep Tor the crew much purer supply
of water than could have been retained in jars or
other rsceptaclos because the latter could not be
cleared of matter liable to putresccnce On the
western coasts of South America, and the great
Asiatic Islands, the bamboo alone furnishes ma
terial for the construction Of houses at once more
safe and more agreeable than the ediices of stone
which earthquake may, ut any moment, hurl
down upon the heads of its occupants.
The bamboo of the tropics is enormous in
height and thickness, although without refer
cncc to its size, the plant may be ranged botani.
cally among the gr,linthca or drunatnt, (rccds.)
Its long, hollow, pointed stalks and pointed
leaves offer great analogy to the first class, and
other poeuliarties ally it to the second. This
causes botanIsts to still remain undecided III
reference to its exact classification We feel NO
concern OH that score, and are interested only in
surveying the uses of the article.
The bamboo finds its home in the tropical re-
.ions either because the torrid zone alone is
adapted to its growth, or because it, migration
to the temperate ATTITUDES has not been aided by
favorable circumstances. 1t embraces, under the
one gtheral title, some five or six kinds. Tho
iofliest species is the Sanlmot, which sometimes
reaches the height of 100 feet, III soil that favors
aud tnaN IN. ;nnb,a Ii,,nntnr at ~
base. It's woody part is not, however, more than
one inch thick. The hollowness of the interior
renders it very convenient for the measurement
OF capacity, for buckets, chests, boxes, &c, and
even light boats arc made Of the thickest stalks
by binding them with pieces OF other wood work
I'd into proper shape.
The second in rank for its height is the lily
bamboo, tho norma! elevation of which is from
GO to ~ feet. Its wood nearly az thin, and its
equal lightness and solidity rondert adaptable to
the same uses as the preceding kind. Both grow
i'll insist, rich soil.
The third is the kind of bamboo most employ
cd in all parts of Southern Asia, insular and
continental. It's height is so feet, and while it
answers for every use subserved by the other
kinds, it has some precious qualities which they
do not possess. Thus, the young shoots from the
stem and the root of the Telin as it is called, are
excellent food which the natives eat us we do as
PUT UP Will NlIcSuT, pfcpNEtu
with meat or various sauces and seasonlRns.
Europeans learn to like it exceedingly. The
wood OF the Tclin combines, III sn unrivalcd de-
gree, the qualities of great strength and extreme
liShtness, and its timber cut into planks and then
subdvdcd into strips or laths, are the best,
adapted to tropical construction.
A kind of bamboo still smaller rnan tho Tclin
and less desirable for domestic, industrial and
agricultural uses, is the Ampel. 1t, however,
furnishes levers, ladders, railing &c The East
Indian native gathering vino ut the top of the
highest palm trees ut al elevation of 100 feet
above the ground, docs not hesitate to throw u
bridge OF the Ampel bamboo across tho palm.
long stalk furnishes the platform AND another
lighter ono perpendicularly fastened, serves for
bulustrudc.
The young shoots Of this bamboo are also sas.
en- 1t is this family of plants that yields w the
famous ironwood, which is NO hard that hatchets
and axes strike fire when driven ut it. Yet, in
comparably hard rs it is, in may be divided into
tilainsnts no fine that thoy An be used tor the
most delicate basket work, and even for woven
tissues.
Then there is the tebo bamboo of tie Chinese
which yields y solid paper. and is used by the
Cciestials for the manufacture of the large para
sois that they carry or use for awnings Paint
ers often substitute it for cahvuss. We may men,
ton also the Tebs, of which defensive hedges
are made, or cntrenclimcnts protected by tho
formidable projections of tollan, whose sharp
points pierce the footgesr OF infantry and the
feet OF horses Next comes the Arundo Scrpto-
ria OF Linaeus, the beesha deriving its forsgo-
ing Latin name from the fact that it Is the re-
source of nil the writers in India, who ret their
pens from it.
The last named species prefer dry, poor soil,
and arc easier to Transplant. The sugury sub.
stance OF their young shoots makes them All
agreeable aliment for AZ we'll ~ herbiferous
animals. The vegetation of these plants coin.
cides with the course Of the moon, whence it has
been concluded that the satellite specially iniu-
ences it, \ notion that prevails in Europe rs well
a. tho East The tufts of stems spring up at the
foot OF the bamboo with such rapidity, that YOU
can literally see them growing In a single day
they will reach the height Of several feet and
shoir development can be followed easily with
The microscope; but the most remarkable cir
tnmstancc connected with the bamboo is the fact
hut, notwithstanding the wonderful coleritv of
Its growth, it does not blossoln until it is so years
Old and after that, once in every half century.
The bamboo has become quite an article of
commerce, and is now transported to every uart
OF the world. Here and in Europe, we have a
most OF uses Tor it, among which, new and note
worthy one has recently been torcsl,ndowed in
the proposition to make from il, tenacious tibres
the very best paper known to Western civiliza.
ton The Chinese and japanese still excel us in
the manufacture of that article and tho bamboo
or some more delicate member OF the arundo
family Is thought to furnish them the exquisite
material
The bamboo Of commerce could bo raised IN
advantage in Lower California and many Dor.
tiens OF our Southern States. 1t will come in
WIN the Chinese who are now flockng by ship.
loads to our Pacific coasts. and will soon Aud
their way. to the gulf of Mexico and we shall
have another staple Of great value added 10 thos.