Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-06-21
AGRICULTURAL.
FROM the Monthly Report OF the Agricultural
Department Of the United states, April, lsbl'l
THE RAMIR.o

THE " RAMIE-"
Letters have been received IN the de-
partment relative toa fibrous plant called
q Raxnie,n or the BOehmeriQ teyGcis-
sin1a, which was introduced In March
from Mexico into New Orleans, where it
is said to be growing finely. IL was in
| troduced into Ssntacomapan, near Vera
Cruz, twelve years ago, rs Is claimed, by
Benit0 Roezl, an Austro-B Belgian bot
anist, and propagated extensively, l
A paper has also been received upon
the same subject, which was read by A.
b. Bacon before the New Orleans
Academy OF Sciences. Mr. Bacon, in a
letter dated April 30th, says of his expert
ment with a specimen . / put the root
| in the ground in my garden March 23d.
The plant is now about four inches high,
and seems to grow vigorously"
Ansther gentleman, in second letter
from New Orleans, says: {" 1t is claimed
here that it is impossible to propagate it
from seed, but thst Il can be propagated
from cuttings. From other sources am
led to the belief that this latter idea, at
least, is erroneous"
1t seems to be eresAing q local sensa-
ton, and to be generally regarded in that
quarter as a new discovery fraught with
good to the south. 1t may possibly
prove to be agriculturally remunerative.
There is ne doubt of its great excellence
and value as a fibre. But it is to be
hoped that those interested in prOps-
eating 1t will descend to no mystifica
ton of the public as TO its character and
identity.
It produces q fibre we'll known COM
mercially, for an indefinite period
wrought into fabrics of great beauty and
strength in all the principal countries of
the east, and for many years manufae-
tured in Great Britain. It belongs to
the nettle family, (Urtic0ciCs,) and this
species is now known as BOehmerjd, and
was christened by DIR. Roxburgh, an
an eminent botanist, B. te7ldctssiBld,
from its toaghness. Other botanists gave
it the rame b. niUed. Sir William
Hooker declared positively that the
names were Synonymous that the
plants so named were identical. Dr.
Shaeffer, librarian of the patent office,
who wrote in the agricultural report Of
1855 concerning IL, still regards the B.
NjUed and b. teBdcisssHlo Rs Identical
If 1t were conceded that they were sub
varieties of the same species, it would
not be practical difference for the fibre
is the same, its uses and price the same,
and the fabrics manufactured from 1t
known as China. grass textures, Of which
some fine samples may be seen in the
museum of the department of agrieul-
ture, manufactured in England. In
China the common name of this plant is
q 'chou-ma; in Japan, "Tsjo;" in Su-
matra, " "caIoee &" ia Malacca, rameen
or " ramie - in East Celebes, t" gambe -
in Assam, "rheea;" in Bonona,
oral IN. of1,ar Il 40, -
by different names. There is q slight
difference. as to colOring Of leaves and
downiness of surface, in different climates
and localities but the balance Of au-
thOrity AMONG bOtanists seems to declare
these differences too small to warrant
even a separation into varieties.
In the report Of agriculture for 1865 will
be found an essay on this fibre, with
a brief history OF the introduction Of the
plant into the botanic garden Of the
United States in this city, in 1856, by the
Superintendent, w. r. Smith, who OBJ
tanned 1t from Jamaica, through Mr..
Wilson, of the government gardens of
that island, and prOpagated, under glass,
about fifty plants from the seed. Mr..
Saunders, at the experimental garden of
this department, has also grown them,
and now has them in his garden.
Mr.. Bacon, in his recent paper on the
ramie, or rami, says, relative to its prop
agation by Mr.. R0ezl
"The ramie, as Mr.. Roezl informs us,
is planted like sngsr-cane, by laying the
stalks oT Capes about two or three inches
under the prepared eartn la lows. The
first crop from this planting will reach
only two or three feet in hight, when it
will be found ripe for the knife, and
should be cut close to the ground. These
stalks will not produce the thread in per-
feetion. From the stubhle thus cut new
plants viii rise and attain a greater
hight, and be cut in like manner again
and again, until, in Santooomapam, Mr..
Roezl takes Off five crops in each season;
the plant when well rooted reached the
hight of twenty feet, each crop being
equal to one of hemp as cultivated in
Europe. 1t Is his opinion that in this
country Florida, Louisiana, and the mid
die and southern portions of Georgia,
Alabama, Mississippi and Texas are
alone suited in climate to its profitable
growth and that hers frOll three to fogr
crops of it may be made in each year.
"The plant, when once rooted in the
soil, is exceedipSsy hardy, and in this
climate a peSerSIial one. 1t will be
greatly benefited by cultivation but
NEGLECT will not endanger it. It has no
.Ioss aS enemies dangerous to its growth
Nenee. II, when ripe for the
knife tEeDcutting Of it isdelayed through
any foTtuitous circumstance, it Is not in
jured by standing. The machinery in
vented by Mr.. ROezl for cleansing it may
be pFoYided at very moderate cost, and
is s1lnpIe and comparatively light Of car
riage.
at remains only to add, as to It's prao-
tcal value, that in 1885 Mr.. ROezl sent
fifi, that n,r-rse containing over Ave thou
sand IS @e eyynliiish pounds, of the textile TO
England, and that it was there sold at
double the price of the best quality Of
cotton. Fabrics woven from it will be
exhibited in the approaching worlds
exhibition of Paris, woven in the looms
of Lyons, Belgium and Englandp m.
great productiveness will, doHk
the end reduce the cash value d AsBI
the manufacturing markets but wTth
it that of cotton, linen, and other