The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-03-18

Ou VIII be ready TO admit that the DAD
grass is "a tall grass. But it is far from
being the tallest in the world, or in the East
Indies either What think you of grass
nearly Ave times as tall? And yet in that
same country such grass exists. Yes,
there is species of ''panic-grass' which ac-
tually grows to the height of fifty feet, with
a cuim not thicker than an ordinary goose
quill This singular species is, however,
climbing plant, growing up amidst the trees
of the forest, supported by their branches,
and almost reaching to their tops.
This panic-grass you will no doubt fancy
must be the tallest grass in the world But
no Prepare yourself to hear that there is
still another kind, not only taller than this,
but one that grows tothe prodigious height
of hundred feet You viii guess what
sort am about to name. 1t could be no
other than the giant bamboo That is the
tallest grass in the world.
You know the bamboo as a cane: : but
for all that it is true grass, belonging to
the natural order of grasses, the chief diff
ference between it and many Others of the
same order being its more gigantic dimen-
sions.
| may safely assert that in all the veg
etable kingdom there is no species or form
50 valuable to the human race as the grasses
Among all civilized nations bread is reek-
oned rs the food of primary importance, so
much 80 a. to have obtained the appellation
of the staff Of life +; and nearly every sort
of bread Is the production Of grass,
Wheat barley, oats, maize and rice are all
grasses aud -. too, is the sugar-eane, 50
valuable for its luxurious product Ii
would take up many pages of our little
volume to enumerate the various species Of
grasses that contribute to the necessities
aud luxuries of mankind and other pages
might be written about species equally avail.
able for the purposes Of life, bat which
have not vet been brought into cultivation.
OF all kinds Of grasses, however, none
possesses greater interest than the bamboo.
Although not the most useful as an article
Of food. this noble plant serves a greater
number Of purposes in the economy of hu-
man life than perhaps any other vegetable
in existence
What the palm-tree Of many species =
to the natives Of South America or tropical
Africa. such Is the bamboo to the inhabi-
tants of Southern Asia and ms islands Ii
is doubtful whether nature has conferred
upon these people any greater boon than
this noble plant, the light and graceful
cuIms Of which are applied by them to a
multitude Of useful purposes. Indeed, 50
numerous are the uses made Of the bam-
bsso. that It would be an elaborate work even
to make out list of them. A few Of the
Purposes to which II Is applied viii enable
yOu tn Judge Il the valuable nature Of this
princsly grass
The young shoots Of some species are cut
when tender, aud eaten ike asparagus. The
fuil.groxn stems while greeh form elegant
Gases. exhahng a perpetual moisture, and
capable II transporting fresh flowers for
hanir,sls Of miles. When ripe and hard
they are converted into bows, arrows and
qaivers. lance shafts, the nlasts Of vessels
walking sticks. the poles Of palanqnins, the
aoors and supporters ii bridges, and va
riety If similar purposes. In growing
aate the strong kinds are formed into stock
adeS. which are impenefrahle to anything
bat regular infantry 90 artillery. Bynoteh-
ing their sides. the MalAys make wonder
fully light sailing ladders, which can be con-
veyed with facility wherc heavier machines
could no, be transported Bruised and
crushed in water. the leaves and stems form
Chinese paper, the tincF qualities Of which
are only improved by = mixture Of raw
cotton and by more careful pounding,
The leaves II small species are the ma
terial ased by the Chinese for the lining Of
their tsa-ehests. Cut into lengths, and the
partitions knocked out, they form durable
water pipes, or BY a little contFivance are
made into cases for holding rolls of paper.
Sli; iEto strip. they afford most durable
material for weaving into mats, baskets,
window blinds, and even the sails Of boats;
and the larger and thicker truncheoRs are
carved By the Chinese into beautiful orns-
meats
For building purposes thebamboo i still
more important. In many parts Of India
the framework of the houses OF the natives
i chiefly composed Of this material In the
flooring. whole stems, four or Ave inches in
diameter, are laid close 10 each other; and
acruss these laths Of split bamboo, about an
inch wide. are fastened down by 6laments
&C rattan cane. The sides Of the houses are
closed in By che bamboOs, opened and rem
dered fiat by splitting or notehing the cir
eular joints on the outside, chipping away
the corresponding divisions within, and
laying il in the sun to dry, pressed down
with weights
Whole bamboos often form the upright
timhers, and the house is generally rooted
in with thatch of narrow split bamboos,
six feet long, placed in regular layers, each
reaching within two feet Of the extremity
of that beneath it, by which treble cover
ing is formed Another and most ingenious
roof Is also formed by cutting large straight
bamboos of sufficient length to reach from
the ridge TO the caves, then splitting them
exactly in two, knocking out the partitions
and arranging them in close order, with the
hollow or inner sides uppermost; after
which second layer, with the outer or con-
vex sides up, is placed upon the ether in
such manner that each of the convex
pieces falls into the two contiguous eOneaye
pieces. covering their edges,-thus serving
as cutters to carry off the rain that falls on
the convex layer.
Such are few of the uses of the bam-
boo; and these are probably not more than
one-tenth of the purposes to which this val
liable cane is applied by the natives of In
dia. The quickness with which the banl-
boo can be cut and fashioned to any pur-
pose is not the least remarkable of its pro-
perties. Hooker, one of the most distin-
guished of English botanists, relates that a
, complete furnished house of bamboo con-
tanning chairs and a table, was erected by
his six attendants in the space of an hour
OF the bamboos there are many species
perhaps fifty in all some of them ma
tives of Africa and South America, but the
greater number belonging to Southern Asia
. which is the true home of these gigantic
grasses. The species differ IN many re
spects from each other, some of them being
J thick and strong, while others are light and
, slender and elastic. In nothing do the diff
, ferent species vary more than in size. They
are found growing of all sizes, from th'
, dwarf bamboo, as slender as a wheat stalk
and onlx, 9xro foot hiOh IN the RuOb1sa