Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1867-06-22
THE RAMIE PLANT.

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The discovery of d substitute for cotton
is creating quite a sensation among the
scientific men Of this country, and 1t cam
not be long before the planting communl-
tv of the South will be in the same con-
dition. We alIude to the ramle plan
yhioh has been brought forward as the
rital spoken of. If one-half the merits
attributed to this plant be true, its dis
coyery will prove . mine Of wealth TO the
| peopls Of tie Southern States. A history
Of its ofgin, and the manner IN which y
became known to our sayans, and It's IN
PRODUCTION to this country, is not necessa-
ry here, although it is not out Of place
to state that the plant has been known
and cultivated ii the far East for many
centuries. We will couine our extracts
to its value and uses. Mr.. Roezl, the
eminent naturalist, thus describes and
explains the ramie, the particulars Of
which we are indebted to a lecture dc
livered by A. P. Bacon, Esq before the
New Orleans Academy Of Sciences:
1.-The ramie. as Mr.. r.. informs us, is
planted like sugar cane, by laying the
stalks or canes, about two or three inch
es under the prepared earth, III rows.-
The first crop from this planting, will
reach only two or three feet in height,
when it will be found ripe for the knife,
and should be cut close to the ground
These stalks will not produce the thread
Id perfection. From the stubble thus
cut, new plants will arise and attain a
greater height, and be cut in a
like manner again and again, until five
crops are taken off in each season, the
plant when well rooted, reaching the
height Of twenty feet each crop being
equal to one Of hemp, as cultivated in
Europe. It is bis opinion, that il this
country, Florida, Louisiana, and the mid
die aud southern portions Of Georgia,
Alabama, Mississippi and Texas, are
alone suited in climate to its profitable
growth and that here from three to four
crops of it may be made in each year.
The plant when once rooted in the soil,
is exceedingly hardy, and in this climate
a perennial one. 1t will be greatly ben
Gifted by cultivation but neglect will
not endanger it. It has no insect enemies
dangerous to its growth or existence. If
when ripe for the knife, the cutting of it
is delayed through any fortuitous circum-
stance, it is not injured by standing. The
machinery invented by Mr.. r. for clean
sing it may be provided at a very mod
crate cost, and is simple and compare
lively light of carriage.
1t remains only to add, as to its prac-
teal value, that in 1865, Mr., Roezl sent
fifty %tierces, containing 5000 Spanish
pounds of the textile to England, and it
was there sold at double the price of the
best quality of cotton. Fabrics woven
from it will be exhibited at the worlds
exhibition of Paris, woven in the looms
of Lyons, Belgium and England. It's
great produetiveness will doubtless in
the end reduce the cash value of it IN the
manufacturing markets, but with it that
Of cotton, linnen and other rivals.
As it will be, even more than cotton,
a Southern staple, as it has vast advan-
tages over the latter in almost every
respect, and as it is peculiarly adapted
to our altered and now more solitary
labor, it is with especial pleasure that
now introduce it to the consideration
of the fellows of this academy and tbro'I
them to the agriculturists Of our State
and region.
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