BAMBOO AS A ROD MATERIAL 43 



as it did in the Central Provinces in 1865, but it may be found 

 flowering sporadically, a few clumps at a time almost every year, 

 in any locality, and such clumps then usually die off. These flow- 

 erings, however, do not produce as much good seed as when the 

 gregarious flowering takes place. The flowers appear in the cold 

 season between November and April, the seed ripening in June. 

 The leaves fall in February or March, and the young new ones 

 appear in April. The young culms are rather late, usually be- 

 ginning to appear in July sometime after the rains begin. 



As compared with the Calcutta bamboo, the rind 

 or compact enamel, outside layer of Tonkin cane is 

 thicker and harder, the " wood " cuts yellower 

 not unlike a piece of miniature yellow pine its 

 fibers are coarser, and strips split from it have a 

 stiffer elasticity. Of two rods of equal dimensions, 

 that made of Calcutta cane will be a bit lighter in 

 weight and more pliant will have less " back- 

 bone." In two other respects the Calcutta is easier 

 to work: its softer, whiter fiber planes easier where 

 the Tonkin requires more frequent sharpenings of 

 the planing-iron, and the fibers also being finer (it 

 makes a more hair-like brush on breaking) and less 

 cohesive, it splits both truer and more readily. In 

 two more-important respects the Tonkin cane is 

 pleasanter to work: it is straighter, deflecting less 

 from node to node; and the nodes themselves 

 both the partitions inside and the corresponding cir- 

 cular ridges outside are much less prominent and 

 so less distorting to the symmetry of the stick and 

 of strips split therefrom. Also, in this variety, de- 

 pressions at the ridges, marking the site where fronds 



