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. 

 IschoBmum 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.) 



