The sun., 1893-07-16
USEFUL rs THE BAMBOO.
A,d vcnkce Machinery Can Work it On =.
Well as Jspnnerr Fingers.

| AID Tsrkce Machinery Can Work Il On n,
| Well as J.pnne,e Fingers.
The light bamboo curtain is giving the sam.
privacy to suburban New iorkers this year
that the Venetian blind has long given to West
| Indians and other dwelers in warm climates
Several yeara ago these rolling curtains OF
| split bamboo made their appearance In thi.
| city under the nam OF Sidnrris, and they wore
found SO u seful that they soon became popu.
| lar fayorites, particularly in tho suburban
| towns. The suburban New Yorker had fallen
into the habit OF living much In nuh.
lie when outside the walls Of bIs
house. Fashion decreei long ago that
the front fence must como down. and
the piazza. usually not far from the street, was
so oxrosed that 1t was useless for comfortable
lounginE, aud demanded tho samc dress that
must be worn for walking or calling. Tho
bamboo curtain onmc to remedy this evil. and
to give to tho America piazza greater privacy
and comfort! 1t Ia chenp enough for the small
est cottage, pretty enough for tho most expen.
siye and useful for everybody who has n
piazza. Like most things that arc chcap
pretty, and useful. 1t has ma 10 place for ITSELF
Possibly there may be some remote hamlet
in the United States where the bamboo curtain
has not yet appeared. and for the benefit ot
that ha inlet IL may be necessary to describe it.
1t IL simply rolling shade made of thin strips
OF split bamboo. with round bamboo rod at
top and bottom to give it strength. and ropes
running through two small pullevs to raise it
or let IL down. 1t is SO loosely made that tho
enough solidity to make a shield from the sun.
IT may be run up or down as easily as any
s s and nS SPs o shea sfpps Ss
summer lounger from tho gaze OF every passer
BY It Is nssd 0ny the foo n'En
S6opts to need any Tor the New
nnr In Da n hn ftpi1 - ntts,
a foreign look throughout. snd seems to bear
work @ % that we sass associats With japan. The s sInss
are tiny things. perhaps a. quarter Of an inch
%Ss WSereesr Sa% the S% apnes ss tSsy
are not in one slat or two. but in enough OF tho
each one eSaets over @ the one of below t. shaw aRe
ing that all those stats have been deity cut
Gns hs ia S aone that s oog n%
dexterity oitho Japanese workmen who make
Bat the patient Jspanes,ss "a ,,,a work workmsn who
tured to order and by machinery; 1t is not in
Sidarris is good name for them. because It
has far away sound. and few people know
Of sn the tropa but ehe
Is all done on one side or other OF the East
hs He SaHY gsyd in ss os from
to the bamboo shades ami other BAN
bee 6So work, ,r used used, in j.. and ABOUT .S this
goods are made. some q the, largest Of these
Iyn. are in phiadephia N II. % Toaia ana fGS San
Francisco. In all of these factories although the
Japan the goods are made % as cheaply as ." they ~
can be made In the East. because tho work is
Beyond a few ornams entail chairs and tables
the ba boo curtain is the first popular use to
boo has habit 1' Of ne mskae s tselt fHs Pa@ so
nfrsvs5 f f0er bo ths s %
been ys raised saseessi9y IL this Sopntry The
any great success. some lonely trees grow in
St Augustine. in Florida, but they are mere
At Fort Myers. in the same State. 300 miles
n s' tha there are better
Tampa. and few at Key West sGte But none Se of
Of ts eat6srxs gives
of hot countries.
For commercial purposes bamboo comes to
packages OF Il that ono may frequently see un-
business uses The mme ense stalks. sometimes f ne
here. because they are not needed. Dur % bam-
BOO goods are better made from small growths,
re straight or crooked. Thsyare often ten crooK. ,
a. a. mt 6nt they they are easily .traishtene1 From
argest makers OF bamboo goods in Brooklyn
:ives u TO q sun renorter this account Of their
Our raw materIa. az r c'h'ry he says comes prinol.
hree n. countries wo md more than sixty yarIe.
sGhss n"tsd II oT ,s IsTy
,enu when steamed. its UNIQUE property OF
pldittttppg d tpg int pieces Of any thickness desired,
hese qualities no. other wood compares with
!: IN some varieties the joints arc only from
re upward Of ye feet apart art These fI Larger 1e
nns are re- rare tr and are used only in the
what bamboo articles article 'ui'Wes do we make2
reat many. and still not nearly us many as
Nor as many a. we probably shall
srssns iret work baskets and hsmpcps hua!nps
st2DIs br"sf 1sfr
s ,srf feasss o ersrt poredfss SCROLLS ard fancy wood
hings. you will notice. nre fancy articles
Iainer l und more useful things win come In
re ready e make half the furnshnr or 'S% aGd te Me
ng OF q house from bamboo
bssn % k Thsrs hwssr s
Hi%bpp r. b.n ttsa h%,th With solid bottom and han
fact, for me to mention. Among the more
nportant l may mention flower pots. You
q, aye no idea OF the beauty Of bamboo ,fiower
o end to their durability. In the botanical
asrdens thoas Or Jamaica, at Cnstletop thousanIs
lg, from three inches to n foot in dameter.
ach fitted With a wooden bottom. They cost
ir9ction OF cent each. and they last forever.
ones among the products OF bambooP il
axes capital wtetstones. being as hard as
int In Eastern countries the natives fre-
nently make knives Of It But that requires
le best kind OF bamboo. Only three species
, the plant grow in this country. and they are
! inferior kinds. Tho Cinnamon In Cafor-
Ia have raised considerable quantities, but
" We regard bamboo as a mammoth sort Of
rass. 1t bears flower. and sOmetimes
lough not often. produces seed. The stalks
ecay and drop away but new shoots rise to
ke their place. The tips and buds are edible.
au .em IN rhat ZINES o. want the natives live upon