February, 1879.
42
THE WEST SHORE.
Tin: bamboo.
On l the mo.1 beautiful feature o( the
KaaUrn Un.lt. sp. n tin- graceful nl leathery
lauiibuu. Few persona wlio have not aeeii it
growing in lU native clime at) get a troer
iilas ( ita grace ami beauty. A rual lineil with
them ami their feathery apraya drooping alxive
preait nu. nf the niuat beautiful avenue. p..s
ailila In have in a warm climate.
Hut mil Ironi ita peculiar Innn ami aa an
ornament almie it it an object of luterett. It la
una 11I the mint iimiIiiI plant, luunil in the
wurlil, umt the HimliHia nay "blessings mi the
liemboo." in view nf ita many ami important
uaaa.
A .ingle umt 11I tlila plant will develop int.. a
large grove, il care lie taken Uicut iluwu the older
.leuit ajul nut let them gu ki aeeil, fur aa annii aa
they have perfected their need they die iluwn tn
the rout like ulher raaiea. It haa lieen knnwn
tn ahnut ni twenty feet in Inglit in aix weeki,
ami tneaaura ten inches aruuml. Mr. Fortune
11 U the nliaervatliiii ul a (row th n( (rum 'J Ui
V) (eet ierilay. The ttalka uaually attain the
bight ul Ail I eet, arid 111 the Imlian ialamla ulten
reach 70 fet ami upwsr.lt, with a diameter o(
10 r I'.' inch, at the lutkim.
There are a large inimlier n( varietiea ilia,
luiguuhed hy the aiae, otto if the loa(, etc.
One haa a van.gated leal like the ttriiiod great,
anil 11 quite urnameiital. The color of the item
it tm rail) yellow; hut the China, anil .lap
aneae p..., .. the art ..I changing this tn hlack
1 lieatnut, etc The Mack varietlaa are culli
aUd in the garden, nl the rich; and the Km
pen It aaid I., have an nrtuvr whose aide duty
ia to alk-n.l Ui the haml.me.
The thimla MM mil nl the kmiiiuI nearly lull
tintd; ami the larger varialiee, I ki inchea iu
diameter They are cut in thia young atate and
eaten aa aaiiaragua, in.kled, preserved aa iweet.
mania, ami ! nr alawed. When grown
there It almoet mi end k the purpura which it
t made to an Th. rouU are carved into a
great van.lv nl image, and fumith the line
punted walking can., lantern handle, ami
..1.1.1. IU stick.. "Th. tapering culma" (lay l
the II.,, S Welle William.) "are uaeil lor all
I . I-.- . that nlee can h applied Ui in carry,
ing. propelling, tup.rUng. and meaaunng, lor
winch thru light, eleelie, tubular atruclure
guaided hy . , ,i,,,m, ,k1Mi ln, .tn,.,!,'
eo-d hy a thick teptam at eaeh Mai moat ail
mirekly tile lhe,. The pilUrt ami pn.p. nl
hnuaM. the liamraorkol aauinga, the rilj nf
mat aa.lt. and Ihe .halt, id rakea. are ec, fur
J? ') f MM -V aim, are MM and
all kind. ..I frame., copa. and cage, the wattle,
j analtit, ud the nh. ( umlirellaa and fans
1 lie Wave re -.red ink, ram cloaks (or farmer,
and aa,l..r, ihalchre (or ,,.ng the.r huU
and koala, pumed inu. lining lor MtoM
idalte.1 ink. ,, i.,t.reTl. k. reel, t
huektk and I,,. ,u im th,
' "u " " .healer, and ,hU
Ph. .C..I. .ul ink.
.-ma. la M ,u. UatkeU ,.( .h.p,
leawy. reared ink. wind... curtaia. . d,w.
a.rej-.pU,u-l ink,. .am,, , ,,
H "rte.l U,rel. .1,1
a-dW thing, in stalling imL,,; hll ,
part, reiud, 0,, .alre.,.n. .. I. ' "T'
Ihe Wx ( aweep.ug The niallreiT k.
ail upon, the UUe
wae w we i,.t to eat, ami Ui
to cook il wilh, are alao den. .1.1.
IWMBtbna Tlit ....im l.. i i . .
7 , hi. lemir inmi iL.
te oaipenktr kit loot meemire, th Una hie
U gn .it fl and ,,0 cupa, and the man
.Ian. 1.1. drendJ inelmmenl t --' - T
,JrJTt to. ttu.iv
Ma the .ri u. wr.k will ,(..
.1
1
to
fuel
Irom
the jwucila, and the covering of the lattice
windiiw inateail of glaaa, arc all indclited to
thia graat in their manufacture. The ahaft of
the anldier'i iicar, and n(tentime the apear
altogether; the plectrum (nr playing the lute,
lie reed in the native organ, tiie akewer to (oa
ten the hair, the hat tn screen the ln-.nl, the
bucket ki draw the water, and the eaay-chair
ki liiiliigc mi, betides hird-cagea, crab-iieta, liah-iiiu-IMilin.
auiimitana or a) ting tubes, flutes,
lifea, ek., etc., arc among the things furnished
from this plant, wbnae lieauty when growing il
i iimmi'iiturate ki ita usefulness when cut down.
A score nr two of luinhon.iiloa for joists and
rafters, Ml fathoms of rattan ropua, with plenty
of palm luavi s and liainlMMi inattiug for roof and
tides, tuiiply mak'rial fnr a cnmmoii dwelling.
Ita coat la afxiut five dnllara. The decks, inaata,
yards, anil framuwurk uf the mataails of the
small Imata nf thu islauders in the archilKilago are
all RMT Of less made of this useful plant.
Thrniighoiit the snuth of Asia it enters into the
dally life of the people in their domestic ecnuomy
lunretlian any thing else, or than any other one
thing does in any part of the world. The Japan
ese supply us with fans neatly formed, ribs and
handle, from a single branch of bamboo, and
covered with paper madu from mullierry bark,
and their skill is shown alao iu the exquisite
covering of line baiulxHi threads woven around
ciiim and saucers."
In llurmah the ImuiiIioo is ao extensively used
that large cities are comixiecd almost entirely
of it.
The planting generally takes place in the
spring or autumn, and requires very little care.
It it always pnqiagated by suckers, which are
deiosited in pita IH inchea or two feet deep.
The culture variea according to the aoil, ex
iMiaure and variety o( the iilant. It irenerallv
grows in a sandy or alluvial aoil, which the roota
can easily ienetrate. According to the vigor of
me yimng nmi me snoota will lie more or lesa
numerous. Thoy are destroyed at an early age
during three sucueeaive yeara, and thoae spring
ing in the fourth rvaemble the parent stem. It
reiuires 30 yeara or more t,. reach the bloaaom
ing periixl, when the plant pnslucea a profuse
quantity o( seed.
It ia quite certain that this valuable plant
could lie succeeafully grown in many parts of
uur couutry. It ia found in abundaiice at Yoko
hama and Yedo, where snow falls a foot deep
and ice forms au inch and .me halt' thick. The
introduction nf thia plant furnishes a moat
laudable Held (or euk-rpriae, and which will
undoubtedly meet with a due reward-'ucif
innil I'rt.
Una in '"" 1 1 1 mi MUmiMm
.. . . i it . 8 - -
j, ... wan waw-r sytwin is carried
nil in large dairiea, an apparently etrectual
plan hat been hit uHu fnr preventing the milk
t ii rn 1 1 . l' ' n . I . I I . . - -
. , , nj-.iii..ii. weallier.
A thin iron wire chain it iaased through the
milk ina. LIm cud. of which are kept Don.
.Unify ia the OoU water. Ir. Kleiachinau, of
lW.len tt,t to the practicability of thin
mil lin f..r Ii. . I .1
, ..w . . -auvni. noes nn the
subject maintain that milk is leaa sensitive to
he ele.-tncity of the air than ki the temiiera
Jure that surniunds it more iminoliately The
M that milk kept i enamelled or tinned ves
sell It Icei liable ki turn ...... I. l.. o.
afieakt well for thia new theory.
AV"T" I'-Tlvr- An .mmenae lo
...nlr ha. rrantly been built at tkOUk
pU for U.e Mexican and Southern IVilic rlul
r.b The engm. weigh, within a fraction of
' km. h H dnv.ng w!.eela, and . I
. ,11 17 ',ln1'. Ml which it must
1 1 not ,.rm u, p uw
b Uk lo piece, ami carried oveVin ZSkm.
ltparel over all the bndgre f th.
.tho.t b, duganUe.1
Jt Umj. Mi to
U,JL I u H"x,- turh.y weighm,,
MS J hereupiin U.e former SUt, S
(or imhre out of th. m. -(Vni,.W
"TOpI,ASM.
Among the recent discoveries in science, none
perhapa will prove of more utility to man than
thoae relating to bioplasm, because they throw
light on physiological questions, particularly
those concerning the construction and nutrition
of the In idy and the causes of disease. It was
formerly ..opposed that our bodies were alive
from top to toe, inside and out ; but this is
found to be a mistake. Only about one-fifth
part is alive ; the rest is formed material.
Everybody knows that a tree may become so
hollow that only a shell is left ; yet the tree
may grow and mature buds and leaves and fruit.
It is Ticcause the outside of the tree the bark
is alive ; the wood iH non-living ; it is simply
formed material. Now the body is not like the
tree alive only on the outside ; but theliving
nrtinn and the formed material exist together
in every part in every tissue, organ and ves
sel. A slight abrasion of the cuticle, or the rupture
of a cell, is followed by particles of fluid which
were formerly overlooked as of no account. But
the microscope has revealed to us that this ap
parently useless, insignificant ooze ia the vital,
living part o( the body ; it is bioptatm.
This is the mechanic, the skilled artist, that
constructs the cells, builds the organs, and per
haps, under the direction of a higher power,
adapts each part to one harmonious whole.
I 'or the last 15 years, certain English and
Herman physiologists have spent much time
with the microscope, watching this little work
man. They have seen it forming tissue, muscle
and nerve, changing food into blood, making
the secretions; and, as parts of the body became
worn and effete, silently disintegrating and
utilizing them, or removing the useless parts
from the body.
The first decided knowledge of bioplasm came
by accident (if finding a thing we are searching
for can be called accident ; is it not rather
revelation ?), by ascertaining that when a pieoe
of live tissue is immersed in a solution of oar
mine the bioplasm is stained, and the formed
material ia not stained. This discovery has
enabled observers to find and watch this little
workman, while buay in constructing every part
of the body.
Hi. .plasm is the builder not only of the body,
but of all animals and plants. To it every or
ganized form, whether animal or vegetable,
owes its formation and growth.
Rioplaam is a clear, colorless fluid, like thin
mucus. Unly microscopes of the highest power
are of use in studying the substance; for the
largest normal masses are not one-thousandth of
an inch in diameter ; but such microscopes fail
to detect in it the least sign of organization.
Yet this apparently unorganized substance is
the cause of all organization. It ia a medium
through which dead inorganic matter becomes
living, organizod. Journal oChtmulry.
CoiWkMtura the Buut or Floor. A French
cheilllNt ...inn fan. ... ...... - - . .... ;. I .
that it would be practicable to compress flour
SO at to (limini.k tl... 1...II. I . 1
, .in- uua an. i yet nut iiij.uv
it quality. An experiment was accordingly
made. I I. .or .nl...., ....) tA - i:
- "nujwww in . utuitUIIUHn..
of .TliO kins was reduced in volume mora than
'-4 . On cloae examination it was found to
I ..... all the qualities it had, previously to its
violent treatment It was then pot into aino
boxes and sealed up. At the same time other
Hour manufactured from the same wheat, bnt
not compressed, was sealed up. About three
........... .,u,r several, boxes containing doio
kinds of Hon. i j : 1
I he pressed waa pronounced to be the best
,. . .i i. . i . . . .1
..ii.uuii alter uiis, another examination
tk place, and with the same result. Th
two k 1 1 1 1 1 a.M L 1 J . a J i 1 1
-. . .uowini into loaves ami ututvu.
Hie pressed flour made the bast Mad. In
u..v..r year xtit Unes were opened and ex
wmued. and while the loose floor showed
midl ines., the pressed was sweet, and retained
all iU qualities. Made into bread the earn
difference waa observable.