Bambusa Arundinacea

The bamboo cane, a gigantic grass, cultivated

in many tropical and semitropical countries. The Chinese use it in

one way or other for nearly everything they require. Almost every

article of furniture in their houses, including mats, screens,

chairs, tables, bedsteads, and bedding, is made of bamboo. The

masts, sails, and rigging of their ships consist chiefly of

bamboo. A fiber has been obtained from the stem suitable for

mixing with wool, cotton, and silk; it is said to be very soft

and to take dyes easily. They have treatises and volumes on its

culture, showing the best soil and the seasons for planting and

transplanting this useful production.