Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-16

from the fact that while most varieties
bloom every year, some have longer in
tervals, while at least one kind blooms
only once in every 80 years.
To begin with, the bamboo supplies
food The young shoots furnish dish
not unlike asparagus. The grains of the
plant also are edible. In India dish
made by mixing bamboo grains with
honey and cooking the mixture Is con-
Sidered q delicacy. Bamboo grain sup
plementS rice as an article Of diet in
China, and it is the observation Of the
Chinese that when the rice crop is poor,
or fails, the bamboo grain crop is more
abundant. Occidental botanists doubt
this, believing that only when the rice
crop fails do the Chinese take the trou-
BILE to gather the bamboo grain.
The uses of the wood of the bamboo
stem are far too many for anything
like a complete listing. Indeed, a ma
no other kind of wood. Also, it takes
the place of materials other than wood.
For example, sections Of bamboo, be-
tween the familiar joints, are used in
the East IN lieu of bottles. In some
parts larger -Stemmed sections are en-
ployed as cooking vessels as the outer
coating Of the bamboo Of certain va
rietieS becomes very hard and, TO con-
siderable extent. f1re-resistant. Sections
| cut IIOLu SIlll larger tI6Co d1C SCkACAdAy
used as water buckets. 80
Wood Easily Adaptable.
All manner of receptaeles can readily
be made, bamboos Of different varieties
and ages providing, ready to hand, the
widest possible assortment of sizes. It
is interesting to recall that the nrst
silkworm eggs to be smuggled out OF
China and taken to the Roman En-
peror Justinian we're secreted in slen-
der bamboo joint. From these eggs
sprang the entire silk industry of Italy
and France.
OF certain varieties of bamboo pens
are made for writing. The inner fbers
of the bamboo stem are beaten into
pulp. from which very fine grade of
paper is manufactured Wood blocks
/ for printing also may be made from
bamboo. Indeed, some varieties are so
hard and have so high siliceous con-
tent that they are used as whetstones
for knives. The bamboo walking stick,
Of course, is familiar all over the world.
All manner of basket work can be
woven from strips Of bamboo.
From the small bamboo reed used for
q writing pen the range Of usefulness
extends with the increasing size Of the
tree to employment Of the largest, ma
| ture varieties as maSts for ships. The
bamboo is invaluable in all kinds Of
construction work. Entire houses are
constructed in the East from products
of the bamboo. The timber supports
are made from the larger trees, while
walls and roofs are constructed from
laths interviewer from narrow strips.
An important quality of the plant Is
the ease and straightness with which
1t splits.
These dwellings are nv M means
rude huts in the wilderness of Borneo.
Excellent workmanship may well be ex-
pended on bamboo timbers. Even in
the most modern construction the bam-
boo Is used. To the unschooled Vest
ern eye the picture Is somewhat incon-
| gruous, but it Is not unusual to observe
a building Of structural steel and stone
or brick being erected with the aid Of
stout bamboo scaffolding. A special
virtue OF bamboo is its lightneSs In re-
lation to its strength. The natural
joints of the tree have many advan-
tages In construction work, preventing
slipping Of planks and providing nat
ural cleatS