Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 218, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 September 1913 — Uses of Papyrus. [ARTICLE]

Uses of Papyrus.

The Papyrus plant, which once flourished in large quantities in Egypt, but is now almost extinct there, still abounds in the Jordan Valley, as well sb in the neighborhood of Jaffa and Sidon. It grows best in a marshy soil, easily attaining a height of eight to ten feet. The stems of the plant which are hollow, like bamboo, are leaflesß, and as thick as a man's arm at she lower part, tapering away tP a point. This wood, says a writer in the Wide World Magazine, is used today in the east for h variety of purposes, both ornamental and useful At Jaffa it is converted into sandals, boxes, various articles of furniture, and even into boats. In ancient times, particularly when the Pharaohs reigned in Egypt, the papyruß was cultivated and converted into paper, and many museums can boast of specimens of these ancient papyri mamv scripts !T < '