74 A TEXT-BOOK OF GRASSES 
OTHER USES 
99. The bamboos are of vast importance to the native 
people of the regions where these gigantic grasses grow. 
The culms or stems are used for building purposes, the 
split bamboo is woven into mats, screens and a variety of 
other articles, the sections of the stems with the solid 
partitions are used as utensils, and the fiber is used for 
paper. The wood is extremely hard, durable and flexible. 
The bamboo is probably put to a greater variety of uses 
than is any other plant. The straw hats known on the 
market as Bangkok hats are made from bamboo. 
Ischemum angustifolium is used in India as a substi- 
tute or adulterant of jute for cotton baling for the Ameri- 
can trade. Rice straw is extensively used in Japan and 
other eastern countries for matting, a large proportion 
of the wrapping of heavy freight being of this material. 
Rice is also used for paper, although the so-called rice- 
paper is made from the bark of the paper mulberry. The 
straw of grains is used for making straw hats, an especially 
fine quality being used in Italy. 
100. Green-manuring.—Grasses, especially the grains, 
are used, as are legumes and some other plants, for green- 
manuring. For this purpose, the plants are turned under 
by plowing about the time they reach maturity. Heavy 
soils are made lighter, since the green vegetation tends to 
produce humus. It is usually more profitable to combine 
green-manuring with pasturing as one can scarcely afford 
to give up an entire season to a crop for turning under. 
Furthermore, land that most needs the manure will give 
the smallest crop to turn under. Stable manure accom- 
plishes results much sooner, but, of course, is not always 
available. (See Farmers’ Bulletin No. 278.) 
