36 THE IDYL OF THE SPLIT-BAMBOO 



pith except at the joints or nodes, where they are 

 divided by strong partitions. Upon the outside of 

 the stalks are circumscribing ridges corresponding 

 to the site of the partitions within. Because of 



these partitions, sec- 

 tions of bamboo- 

 stalk are readily con- 

 verted into water- 

 bottles, and, upon re- 

 moval of the parti- 

 tions, the stalks of 

 the larger species, 

 attaining a diameter 

 of five or six inches, 

 are used in the Orient 

 for piping water. 



Interest attaches 

 to the use of the 

 word " cane " as ap- 

 plied to bamboo. 

 Botanically, cane re- 

 fers to any plant 

 crowing bamboo having long, hard, 



tlastic stems. Walking-sticks originally were desig- 

 nated " canes " only when made of cane, as from the 

 smaller stems of bamboo imported into Europe for 

 this purpose. Thus bamboo does not derive its 

 name of cane from the walking-stick, but, conversely, 

 " cane " as applied generally to the walking-stick 



