Rod-making. 279 



declaration in this book, is that the tests described in the 

 last paragraph below are the only sure guide to a correct 

 conclusion as to the quality of bamboo, and that they 

 should never be omitted. I desire to be quite emphatic in 

 the expression of this opinion, that the beginner may take 

 it to heart, and make it a cardinal principle in split-bam- 

 boo rod-making. 



Again and again have gentlemen selected bamboo for 

 me, who insisted and believed that they could discrimi- 

 nate at a glance between the fit and the unfit. This I 

 knew I could not do. The event has invariably shown 

 that the utmost value which could be given to the choice 

 was a balance of probability in favor of its correctness, 

 and by no means the certainty of excellence which should 

 always precede the expenditure of the skill and labor re- 

 quired in this work. Remember it is just as difficult to 

 make a rod from poor stuff as good, and that the first, no 

 matter how exquisite the workmanship, will be as infe- 

 rior, practically, to the poorest wooden rod, as a split-bam- 

 boo of first-class cane is superior to the best that can be 

 constructed from any other known material. 



Five feet from the butt end will be all you can use, 

 unless the cane is unusually* large. Next split with a 

 table-knife, as directed under "Tips," and get out the 

 strips which include the " eyes " from which the leaf 

 grew, and which, though worthless for rod-making, are 

 invaluable for testing purposes. First bend them with 

 the rind concave, and thus determine how elastic it is. 

 Most bamboo will, however, respond to this test pretty 

 well. Then bend them with the rind convex. Here 

 they will "take a set" i.e., not recover entirely. If 

 this is considerable, more seasoning is required, and the 

 cane is not yet fit to put in a rod. If it is slight, and 



