The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-02-24
bamboo and Paper in Japan.

TO enumerate the various uses to which
the bamboo ls put would be to furnish
list altogether uprcadable. for they seem
to make everything Of bamboo audto treat
1t III every imaginable manner. 1t must
be remembered that the bamboo IS tough
fibroue, giant grass with hollow stem diVi-
ded horizontally at the roots. Thus it
consists OF series Of cylindrical chambers
superposed one on the other, and separated
from each other by horizontal wooden d.
visions, the knots or divisions being very
close TO each other near the root of the
plant, and removed from each other by q
considerable distance IN the higher parts of
the stem. 1t is from these knots that the
thin shoots on wich the foliage is borne are
protruued. Before me, as l write, are a
series Of carved boxes, each made from a
section OF the stem, with two of the trans-
verse divisions, the one forming the top
and the other the bottom of the bcx, and
these boxes vary in height according as the
JOINT has come from the center or lower
portion Of the steIn. Here is sachi bottle
formed of an elongated joint and with an
arched handle. On 1t Is beautiful spray
OF the magnolia, carved in the manner cal
led cameo and with bud 80 arranged as
to become tee spout from which the sachi
is poured, a plugged hule at the top Of the
vessel being t1lled with the exhllaratlng
1uid. Here ls a spill bordered with q
Greek key pattern, and ON one side or
which snake ls carved, while on the 9TH
er we have flower, the surface beng low
ercd IN both cases SO that the figure stands
out in relief; but, besides the carving, this
beautiful spill is enriched with little lac.
quer work, in which gold, oxid;zed silver
and warm brown color prevail. Here is
another spill with flowers cut in inlagl,o.
Here is tea box or tea caddy formed out
OF root joint, with the spout carved IN
the thickness Of the side. hole is made
III fthe top, to which I'D Is fitted, and the
handle consists of a tuft OF lateral shoots.
Here is another made out of TWO cells, and
three OF the disseplmcnts, the one being
used as the handle. But before ME | see
scoops made OF portions Of the stem, trays
formed Of the horizontal divisions, both
carved and PLAIN; medicine boxes; portable
writing cases. box formed by splitting a
portion OF the stem lengthwIse; q neat Of
boxes consisting of number of superposed
joints; censer III the form Of a tripod, and
many ether things. But, the Japanese at
tach handles to poations of the stem, and
thus make nseful ladies. They use large
JOINTS tor the carrying of water us we use
different kinds by plating and lntertwln-
ing the thin shoots in various WAYS. They
make sun blinds by threading little bits OF
bamboo on strtngs,as we thread beads;thev
split Ut into laths and form mats by attach
ing the strips together with threads: tdey
make the sDokes of their fans Of bamboo.
They split stem throughout portion of
Its length, and make a hand screen by
spreading the spill portions ard pasting
paper over them, They make tier fishing
rods OF bamboo, they convey water in
bamboo stems from which the transverse
members or disseplments have been re-
moved; and the cutters around their hous-
cs are formed OF this material. The bas-
kets are of the bamboo (willow ls not used
IN Japan tor basket work), and by ham
merlng 1t till 1t is reduced to u broken and
nDrous condition, they form fuse used
1or blasting operations, while the tooth
brush ls bit OF bamboo stem, with the
end rendered tbrous by hammerng. These
are some OF the uses to which the bamboo
is put In Japan, but they are only q few
OF multitude. The Japanese paper ls
tough and fbrous, and NC nave seen that
they treat 1t in various ways 80 as to give
1t the appearance of other substances. Thue
they make from it a material closely re-
sembling leather, and also an imitation of
tortoise silcit SO ike the substance initiated
that 1T might readily be taken for the real
shell. They make paper 80 gossamer
like that the air passes through it as it
would through Il net, and which might al
most be used for LADIES' wells. In its lcath-
er like form paper is used for making the
pocketbooks, tobacco pouches, pipe cases
satchela, and for most of the purposes to
which we would apply leather. In the
form or imitation tortoise shell it is inlaid
into cablne'e and trays. Japanese pocket
handkerchlcfs are formed of paper, and
some OF these may be rubbed up INTO
ball without their tearing, when they be-
come as soft rs the finest cambria. Small
parcels are almost invariably tied with
string formed of twisted paper. Water
proof coats are formed of psper, as wei. as
e aprons of the jinrik shas, and paper is
NJ put to all those uses to which we ap-
y 1t in England.