Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-04-03
A NEW sOUTHERN STAPLE.

We have seen a specimen Of the fibre
of the plant mentioned below. 1t seemed
to Us as fine as the finest cotton, s snow
white, silk-like staple, with which even
the Sea Island cottoz could not compare.
Imagine a hank of fax, twenty-four
inches long, as large as your finger, from
a single stalk, white as the whitest cot
ton, fine as the finest floss, and you have
the ramie. We hope it may not be ex-
tensively cultivated in the South until
our planters are no longer overseers for
Northern bankrupts, rich only by means
of forged and fraudulent credit; until lcs
can ourselves reap the profits Of Our
labor.
A new plant has been added to the
resources of our tropical and semi tropi-
cal regions-a new textile, which viii
furnish the world with clothing and the
means Of knowledge. We have seen,
within 3 few days. long skeins of cotton
ike fibre, cotton-like in whiteness, soft
ness and fiueness, but much stronger,
which is now produced at the rate of
five crops per year, in the state of VeFs
Cruz, Mexico, where it has been culti-
waited for five years by a Belgian natu
ralist and bOtanist, who went there to
pursue his favorite studies and oeeupa-
lions in a soil and climate which favor
them.
This plant, called the ramie, is a ma
tive of Java, was introduced thence into
the Jardin des Plantes, st Paris, by some
French savan, in 1874; was regarded
then as simply exhibiting the wonderful
advantages of the tropics, being too del
icate for opel cir culture IN cold eli
mates. But having been planted and
tried in warmer climates than that OF
France, yer not so equatorial as that Of
Java, it has been found to do as well in
them.
It is due to NJ. BenitO Roezl, formerly
chief Of the horticultural institute Of
BeIgiusl, now Of Santocomapram, Ssn
Andres Tustla, state of Vera Cruz, Mex
leo, that we can now pronounce II nat
uraliZed plant of this continent, and to
his present visit to this city will speedily
owe its introduction into the field cul-
tHre of the gulf states, 10 which it will
permanently pertain.
The ramie its Jayanese namel Is q
plant like hemp, contains in its stalk the
fbre for which it is raised, and which is
grown like the slgaT~csne, from being
planted in lengths or from its stubbie
with this advantage over the cane, that
each succeeding year it grows better, and
that in Cuba and Lower Mexico it viii
f.,rnish five, and here at least three cut
tings IN the yesr.
BY a new process ani some simple
machinery invented by Mr.. R, the lint
can be prepared from the stalks, taken
fresh from the ground in twenty-fOur
hours. We all know that months Of Ia
bor and the entire discolOring Of the
fibre follows the treatment by the Ordi-
nary process of flax and hemp, while the
ramie comes out white, clean, pure, and
uuhurt.
Eight hundred pounds Of lint to the
aere IS to be expected from each cutting
of full growth, ia fair land. The culture
is similar to that of cane but IS the
plant when once set, is hard to eradicate,
grows vigorously, and defies the intiu-
euee Of grass or rival plants, cultivation
is only needed to promote its growth.
When ripe, it should be cut; but neglect
70 DO this causes no special damage, so
that il may wait days or weeks the viii
Of the free republicans Of Mexico and
the union. The fibre is long, fine, and
strong; the plant easy to raise, and
hardy in q southern latitude; its Prepar-
alton for market is simple and cheap in
cost. Under these circumstances We
NAV safely pronounce that it will at an
early day take high rank among our
staples.-N 0. PjcGyiule.