The Red Cloud chief., 1880-06-10
ne National Plant Of the Chinese.

THE uses OF the bamboo. SAYS DIR. s.
w. Williams (auihor OF The Middle
kingdom''t, are so numerous as 20 en-
title this grass 10 be called the national
pisnt. 1t grows naturally throughout
the country nearly TO the latitude of
Pekin, diminishing In size ard strength
a. one goes nertkset3. The varieties
in9u-ed during the long period Of its
culture are numerous. and n native
writer On its propagation observes at
the outset Of his treatise thst he could
not undertake 40 much A. 10 name them
all. and would therefore conGpe him
seif to a consideration Of sitty thee Of
the principal. So~c II them are like
trees. H-Sy or fifty feet high. with
cuims eight inches in diameter At the
root; others resemble pipe-stems
through their length. graceful and
slender as a magician wand: while
kind presents 4 black. another has 4
bright yellow skin. This plant may
well be called useful. for Il is applied
by lie Chinese TO such a vast variety
cf purposes that they are puzzled 10 get
along without it wh-n they emigrate
w. : AVIS hoh GiO". Int ttllltt
out tasteless shoots are cut for food,
either boiled, picked, or comtited. rs
the customer wishes. The seeds. too.
furnish a farina suitable fer cakes, and
the Chinese have 4 proyerb that the
bamboo flowers chiefly in years OF
famine. The gnarled roots are carved
into fantastic images Of men. birds.
monkeys, or nionstroUs pcrversion5 of
animated nature; cut into lantern ham
dies or canes, known in as
whangees;' or turned by the lathe
into oval sticks for worshipers To divine
whether the gods will hear or refuse
their petitions.
The tapering culms are used for all
purposes to which poles can be applied
in carrying, supporting. propelling and
measuring. by the porter, the hoatn'ar
and the carpenter 10 all cases where
.ish.ntss. strength and length are requi-
sites. The joists of houses and the ribs
of sails, the shafts of spears and the
watties Of hurdles, the tubes of ague-
ducts and the raftcrs of roofs, the han
dies Of umbrellas and the ribs of fans
are all constructed of bamboo. The
leaves are sewed upon cords in layers
to make rain cloaks, swept into heap.
for manure. matted into matches, and
used as wrappers in cooking rice dump
lings. Cut into slivers of various sizes.
the wood is worked into baskets and
trays of every form and fancy. twisted
into cables, plated into awnings w
boats, houses and streets, and woven
into mats for the scenery of the theater,
the roofs of houses and the castings of
goods. The shavings even are picked
INTO oakum and mixed with those of
the rattan, to be stuffed into mattresses.
The bamboo furnishes material for the
bed and the couch, chOp-sticks TO use in
eating, pipes for smoking, flutes, cur
tains TO hang in the doorway, brooms,
screens, stools, cOops, stands, sofas, and
other articles, too numerous TO mention,
of household necessity and luxury.
The mattress TO lie on, the chair to sit
upon, the table to dine from, the food
to eat and the fuel to cook it with are
alike derived from it. The ferule to
govern the pupil and the book he
studies both originate here. The taper
ing tubes of the native organ and the
dreaded instrument of the lictor. the
skewer to pin the hair with, and the
hat to screen the head, the paper to
write on, the pencil to write with and
the cup To hold the pencils; the rule to
Measure lengths, the cup TO gauge
quantities and the bucket to draw Wa
ter; the bellows TO blow the fire with
and the tube to hold the match; the
bird cage and the crab net. the life
praSarynr apt tho phillren'S hrrov tho
fishpole and sumpitan, the water wheel
and eaves-trough, sedan, w~heelbarrow
and handcart. with scores of machines
and utensils, are one and all furnished
or completed by this magnificent grass,
the graceful beauty of which when grow
Ing is comparable to its varied useful
ness when cut down.
China could hardly be governed with
out the constant application of the
bamboo. nor could the people carry on
their daily pursuits without it. 1t
serves to embellish the garden of the
patrician and shade the hamlet of the
peasant; il composes the hedge which
separates their grounds, assists in con-
structin@ tools to work their lands, and
feeds the cattle which labor on them.
The boatman and weaver finds its
slender poles indispensable to their
trades. while there is nothing the art
lists paint so well on wares and en-
broideries. The tabasheer found in the
internodes has its Uses in native phar-
macy, and the siliciOus cuticle furnishes
the engraver a good surface for carving
and polishing.