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CANE
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CANE , a name applied to many See also:plants which have See also:long, slender, See also:reed-like stalks or stems, as, for example, the See also:sugar-cane, the See also:bamboo-cane or the reed-cane. From the use as walking-sticks to which many of these plants have been applied, the name " cane " is improperly given to sticks, irrespective of the source from which they are derived. Properly it should be restricted to a See also:peculiar class of palms, known as rattans, included under the two closely allied genera Calamus and Daemonorops, of which there are a large number of See also:species. The plants are found widely extended throughout the islands of the See also:Indian See also:Archipelago, the See also:Malay See also:Peninsula, See also:China, See also:India and See also:Ceylon; and also in See also:Australia and See also:Africa. They were described by Georg See also:Eberhard Rumpf or Rumphius (1627-1702), See also:governor of See also:Amboyna, and author of the See also:Herbarium Amboynense (6 vols. See also:folio, See also:Amsterdam, 1741-1755), under the name of Palmijunci, as inhabitants of dense forests into which the rays of the See also:sun scarce can penetrate, where they See also:form spiny bushes, obstructing the passage through the See also:jungle. The slender stems rarely exceed an See also:inch in See also:diameter and are generally much smaller. They creep or trail to an enormous length, often reaching 500 or 600 ft., and support themselves on trees or bushes by recurved spines See also:borne on the stalk or back of the midrib of the See also:leaf, or by stiff hooks replacing the upper leaflets. In some cases the midrib is elongated beyond the leaflets to form a long See also:whip-like structure, bearing recurved hooks at intervals. The natives, in preparing the canes for the See also:market, See also:strip off the leaves by pulling the cut plant through a notch made in a See also:tree. The canes always See also:present distinct rings at the junction of the sheathing leaves with the See also:stem. Theyassume a yellow See also:colour as they dry; and those imported from See also:Calcutta have a glossy See also:surface, while the produce of the Eastern Archipelago presents a dull exterior. Canes, on See also:account of their lightness, length, strength and flexibility, are used for a See also:great variety of purposes by the inhabit-ants of the countries in which they grow. Split into thin strips they are See also:twisted to form See also:ropes and See also:ships' cables, an application mentioned by See also:Captain See also:Dampier in his Voyages. A more important application, however, is for See also:basket-See also:work, and for making chairs, couches, pillows, &c., as the great strength and durability of thin and easily prepared strips admit of such articles being made at once See also:airy, strong and flexible. Much of the beautiful and elaborate basket-work of the See also:Chinese and See also:Japanese is made from thin strips of cane, which are also used by the Chinese for larger See also:works, such as See also:door-mats, houses and sheds. A very large See also:trade with Western countries and the See also:United States is carried on in canes and rattans, the See also:principal centres of the trade being See also:Batavia, See also:Sarawak, See also:Singapore, See also:Penang and Calcutta. In addition to the varieties used for walking-sticks, whip and See also:umbrella handles, &c., the See also:common rattans are in extensive demand for basket-making, the seats and backs of chairs, the ribs of cheap umbrellas, saddles and other See also:harness-work; and generally for purposes where their strength and flexibility make them efficient substitutes for See also:whalebone. The walking-stick " canes " of See also:commerce include a great many varieties, some of which, however, are not the produce of trailing palms. The well-known Malacca canes are obtained from Calamus Scipionum, the stems of which are much stouter than is the See also:case with the See also:average species of Calamus. Additional information and CommentsThere are no comments yet for this article.
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