bamboos: their cultuee and uses 25 
BAMBOOS AS PAPER-MAKING MATERIAL 
Considerable attention has been given to the manufacture of paper' 
from several species of bamboo. The more important lines of this 
work have been carried on in India and the Philippines, where large 
quantities of the tropical forms are available. With the exception 
of Bamhos tulda few of the forms which can be grown in this coun- 
try would be entirely suitable for paper making, as they could not 
yet compete with more easily produced material. Paper making, to 
be economical, involves large initial outlays for equipment and 
chemicals, the recovery of these chemicals, and the maintaining of 
expensive machinery. In other words, it is an industry that can 
not be undertaken on a small scale. A large well-equipped factory 
is essential to success. 
Bamhos tulda should be especially mentioned as having potential 
value for paper maldng. In the first place, it may be propagated 
from seeds, which is a great advantage where quantity production 
is required in a comparatively short time. The seedlings are easily 
handled and lend themselves readily to field transplanting and field 
culture. The plants grow rapidly if on good strong soil where 
frosts and freezes are not likely to interfere. This bamboo is too 
tender for the climate at the Brooksville garden. At points south 
of Brooksville, notably along the Gulf coast, it should do A^ery well 
and should yield from 40 to 50 tons of paper-making material a 
year per acre after about the fourth or fifth year. This is based 
on taking out about one-third of the culms each year. For by- 
products this bamboo could also be utilized in the manufacture of 
split fishing rods, phonograph needles, and brushes and brooms of 
many kinds. 
MINOR USES 
Among the minor commercial uses of the bamboo that might 
have consideration may be mentioned the manufacture of crates 
and barrel hoops and the construction of porch swings, etc. As a 
prerequisite to the encouragement or conduct of an}^ industry, how- 
ever, an adequate supply of raw material is absolutely necessaiy. 
As an illustration of this point may be cited the experience of a 
few years ago when, through the efforts of the Office of Foreign 
Seed and Plant Introduction, certain firms became interested in 
obtaining bamboo material for use in manufacturing phonograph 
needles. One firm stated it could use 10,000 to 15,000 poles a year, 
each pole to be 15 feet long and from 2 to 3 inches in diameter. 
Samples of Bambos tidda from the Canal Zone were sent, and these 
samples were so satisfactory that the firm was ready to place an 
order. It was then necessary to say that there were no culms avail- 
able in the Canal Zone. Similar tests were made by the same firm 
on the Savannah bamboos, which at that time had not come into 
the possession of the department. This bamboo also was found to 
furnish good material for phonograph needles, but here again there 
was no adequate supply of the material. This factor>^ would have 
exhausted the Savannah stock in a week or two, a stock fi'om a 
grove that had taken nearly 30 years to gi'ow. 
In closing this discussion of the commercial uses of the bamboo, 
it is hoped that the point has been made plain that production of the 
