The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1867-05-08
The Boehmcria Tenaclssima, or Ramie.


The Boehmcria Tenaclssima, or Ramie
By 4. B. Bacon, Chairman Agriculture N 0. Acaden1,
Of Scenccs.
AS it is one Of the duties of this Academy to bring
into notice any plant which botanical science ha
opened to light, and which mechanical invention ha:
made useful it is with very great satisfaction that We
present to your consideration the boehmeria tenacs
sina, which rausplanted from the Island of Java
in the year 1874, into the Jardn des Plantes in Paris
by the naturalist Blume, member of the Institute oil
France, and which has been, within the last eleven
years. introduced to practical usefulness in the appro
pirate soil Of Mexico, by NJ. Bento Roezi, formerly
at the head Of the Horticultural Institute of Belgium
brief review OF the history of this plant and OF
those textiles With which it may be compared may NOT
be embarrassing. Flax and hemp, which like it fur
nish from their stalks the fibre which is used for
threads have been in use among cyilised nations al
most from the origin Of man. But with all the dis
coyeries made in chemistry all the skill in cultivation
the result OF centuries of use, and all the improve
ments made in mechanical contriyance they have
never yet been made to cheapy clohe the multitude
with neat and comely fabrics. The former, indeed,
possesses all needed beauty bat the supply is scant
and it is comparatively costly; while the hemp has
yet been SO improved to furnish clothing suit
able for
Undoubtedly an invaluable addition was made to
the Of the world when the vegetable wool borne
by the cotton plant-gossypium herbaceum-was
brought into general employment in the looms of the
commercial nations of Europe How far back in man 5
LloLOlJ IL DeSli III luuIa ana emma,
it is hard to discover. The name it bears with US
cotton, derived from the Arabs, whose clothes
were in European eally the beginning of the
Christian era and it was, doubtless, cultivated in
Spain by the Moors, as early the tenth century 1t
was found by COrtes and his followers in Mexico on
his arrival there and the seed Of the best varieties of
it in cultivation among US were brought from that
country.
1t was not, however, until the latter end of the sew
enteenth century that much effort was made to manu-
fantu il, until tbn ali IL,
eighteenth that it met with any appreciate success
about which time the plant was introduced into those
States for cultivation The first date of export fur
nished by statistciaus is in 1871, when l89, 3l6
pounds were sent to England. AS there were no man
ufactories in this country, this may be regarded as
constituting the bulk of the entire crop.
We have already stated that the Javanese tex
tile was first brought to European notice in 1874
twentythree years ago. 4 native of the tropics it
did not flourish in the open air. Its learned patron
found it asylum in the Jardn des Plantes and gave
it the botanical name of Boehmeria enacssima plac-
ing 1t under the of Decasne then director of that
great botanical garden 1t the latter who made
the discovery of its practical usefulness and published
description Of it in April i645 in the journal prac-
tique ct de jardnage du Doctor Bixio with the title
of "Researches respecting the Ramie new textile
plant" 1t was also de :crbed in the Dictionary of
Natural History, by D'Orbigny, vol. g. page 222 and
by number Of other students of nature.
The ramie belongs to the family of the urticacee of
which the common netle is the simple and best known
lnteger and to which the hemp plant also pertains
1t acquires height much like that Of the latter with
diameter at the ground Of one to two centinetres
Its leaves are from pedicellate, acuminate and dark
underneath. The observation may here be dropped
that they heartily relished by animals and might
be well used as food for them.
The experiments Of the eminent French botanists
above named, and of H. N. Fortune Beastier Forbes
Leclancher and others, satisfied them as it did n |
Benlto Roezl atcrWard, that this boehmeria-the "a
mle-pOSseSSed the following ndyantaops.
l. That the fibre Of the ramie is stronger than that
Of the best European hemp.
9 That it is fifty per cent. stronger and better than
the best Belgian faxen or linen fibre.
8. That the rame fibre may be spun as fine as that
OF flax and that it will be douby durable
4. That the plant is vigorous grower and will pro-
duce far the greatest amount Of textile fibre of any
one hitherto known
5. That it will produce within the belt in which it |
hourshes from three to five annual crops each equal
to the best gathered from hemp.
But neither France nor Belgium were warm enough
forts useful GROWTH and SO the Belgian boanist who
desired to develop the usefulness of this plant looked
out for most suitable climate Attracted by the
hopes which centre in the new world trusting that
Mexico would soon export from its rich soil the fruits
OF hidden treasure which agriculture would develop
he migrated, some eleven years ago. to the latter
country; having first gone out to Java and spent
year there, observing the growth and learning the his
tory of the ramie, plants of which he brought back
and carried with him to Mexico.
On his way up to the capital he suffered the usual
fate of Travellers and robbed of his box of plants
OF the rame, which to him was invaluable treasure
but in which the hghwaymen were doubtless greatly
disappointed after they had BARRED it to their hiding
places. Not discouraged, he applied through Eng
Hsh horticultural saVantS, to their Government and
through their navy obtained another supply which
was sent to England but the plants persisted before
they reached the cold shore Of Albion Another like
attempt had like failure the boehmeria arrived hut
arrived corpse. The third was more successful: vet
it was necessary to place it in dollhouse cultivation
after it reached England, to give it the strength to
make another great voyage.
In 1852 after six years of waiting in his new and
strange home in Mexico Mr. Roezi had tdings that his
earnestly coveted plants and arrived at Vera Cruz:
but many days had elapsed after their entry at the
customhouse, before he learned of it, The city at
that time was IN state of siege from Miramon; yet
to the man ct science, and the benefactor of the
husbandman and the artisan the passways were opened
and he came and took back with him to Santocomapam
near San Andres Tuxtla, in the State of Vera Cruz |
where he now lives, the halfdead remains Of these
"danghters of ASIA All the skill of the borticul-
turist and all the science of the naturalist were nut
to the test to preserve them germinaors These
were successful; and within the two years which fol-
lowed, he found himself the owner of a large planta
ton.
Here another difficulty presented itself-tbot of
economically and without injury, Kidding the plant of
the resinous woody and other refuse matter so that
the pure white textile fabric might be- readily and
cheapy, presented to the spinner and weaver for their
use.
Dir. R. procured from England the best and most
approved machines for cleansing fax and hemp; but
those proved altogether unable to meet the require
ments of SO exqaiStely fine fibre. Two years of
Importation were thus spent in vain. He then IN
dertook to supply the want himself and the result
was after four years of experiment and study the
invention Of two very simple implements, which may
be driven by hand or by other power and which in
stead of requiring months of soaking rotting drying
and bleaching, as is the case with fax linen, will !
within tWentyour hours after the stalks have been cut
produce long skeins of pure white and silk like thread
Tree from wood and resin and all other impurities
ready for the spinners use. !
Anxious to lmpart the knowledge Of his success to
others, Mr. Roezi made journey in February lust J
past to Cuba, where he was received with the atten
ton due to the naturalist whose name is mentioned
IN works OF the highest repute in Europe. with re-
specs for.#his researches and scientific travels
Inc progressive Sigio, aud the cautious deliberate
ana profound Diario, devoted columns to tie exnlana
oa Of tile uses and cultivation Of the ramie and n
uah Foey and D. Fernan Perez eminent and scientific
aSFcauriss Of Cuba, declared it to be vastly snnr !
lof 20 inen 10 strength and ineness and to cotton
not only IN these Qualities but ID produeveness and
pfophesle that it would on that island sunnlant
op.cco and coffee ID the list of preferable stanles
mr. hoezi, continuing ls vnva,a y ,,o. =. 81 N