BAMBOO — McCLURE 409 



away from each successive node, beginning at the basal ones, as soon 

 as the internode stops its growth in length ; in some the sheaths persist 

 and gradually disintegrate in place. 



The culm sheaths of certain species of bamboo, particularly of the 

 genera Bambusa, Dendrocalamus, and Phyllostachys, have special 

 characteristics in respect to size, texture, toughness, and flexibility, 

 which suit them for various purposes. The flexible sheaths of several 

 of the larger species of Phyllostachys, for example, are commonly 

 employed, in both China and Japan, as covers for earthenware jars 

 in which certain food products are stored. Other foods are regularly 

 wrapped in these flexible sheaths for display and retail disposal 

 (pi. 10). In Japan, slender strips of this same type of sheath are 

 widely used in place of twine and in nurseries as a substitute for 

 raffia. They are moistened to increase their toughness while being tied. 



In southern China the sheaths of a large thorny species (Bambusa 

 sinospinosa) are torn into narrow strips to serve as the weft of 

 coarse sandals. Here also woven-bamboo casks lined with the broad, 

 stiff sheaths of Sinocalamus latiflorus are commonly employed for 

 transporting incense powder. In central China the sheaths of the 

 larger species of Phyllostachys are used to line these incense casks 

 and to serve as a protecting cover for bales of the cheaper grades 

 of paper. In various localities in the Orient, bamboo culm sheaths 

 are employed as a waterproof and sunproof lining for inexpensive hats. 



In Oriental hand printing and block-print making, the paper is 

 laid upon the inked block. A clear and uniform impression is then 

 insured by rubbing the paper with a pad known as the "baren," a 

 term borrowed from the Japanese. The baren has a firmness suited 

 to the peculiar needs of the work to be done. It is basically a thin 

 disk of wood padded with several layers of tough paper. The outer 

 covering is always a smooth, tough, flexible bamboo sheath. In both 

 China and Japan the baren used by printer and blockmaker is covered 

 with a culm sheath from a large species of Phyllostachys, usually P. 

 pubescens or P. bambusoides. 



One often sees, in the more tropical parts of the Orient, scarecrows 

 made from large stiff culm sheaths. The sheaths are either suspended 

 by a short cord from the tip of a bamboo pole thrust into the ground 

 at an oblique angle, or simply impaled upon a short stick set upright. 

 As the sheath swings about in the breeze, the pale, polished, inner sur- 

 face and the dull outer one reflect the light differentially, exaggerating 

 the effect of its motion. 



CONCLUSION 



This account only begins to cover the phases of the utilization of 

 bamboo. The conscious aim has been to present an intimate view of 

 selected aspects in those areas of the Far East where its perfection 



