The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1867-05-15
Ramie Substitute for Cotton.
1 a III +T1 6H AE2fEI{l.I
The New Orleans Picayune gives the

resources OF our tropical and semi -trop-
ical regien--a new, textile, which will
furnish the world with clothing and the
means of knowledge. We have seen
within few days long 1skeins of a cot
ton7AkeI fbre, eotten1like in, Mhiteness,
softness and fineness, but much strong
er, which is now produced at the rate of
five crops pes year, I'm the State Of Vera
Grnz, Mexico. where it!has been culti-
waited for five. years by aaBelgium nat
uralist and botanist, who went there to1
pursue his favorite studies and occupa-
tiohs ina soil and climate which favor
them. .a1f.am9
This plant, called the ramie, is a ma
tive of Java; was introduced thence
into the Jardin, des Plantes at, Paris by
some French sayan, in 1874 was re-
garded then as simply exhibiting the
wonderful advantages of tie tropics,
being too delicate for open air, culture
in cold elimes. But having been plant
| ed and tried i'll warmer climates than
that Of France, yetnot. 80 equatorial as
thatIof Java, it has been found to do as
well in them. .alAHIs 4
l,,9 tits due to NJ. Bento Raezl, formerly
chief of the HORTICULTURAL Institute OF
Belgium, now of Santoeemaprum, San
Andres Tustla, State, of Vera Cruz,
Mexico, that we can now pronouneelt
a naturalized plant of this continent,
and to his present visit to this city will
speedily owe its introduction into the
field culture Of the Gulf States, to which
it will permanently pertain ss2oli,ga
The ramiea tits Jayanese nancy is a
plant like hemp, contains in its stalk
the fibre for which it is raised, and
which is grownslike sugar cane, from
being planted in lengths or from its
stubble; with the advantage over tn the
stubble of the cane, that each succeed
ING yearit grows better, and thatin Cuba
and Lower Mexico it viii furnish five,
and here at least three cuttings IN the
1year. aaRyA u s,5sZast y, 80 tS
By new process, and some simple
machinery invented by NJ. Raezl, the
lint can be prepared from the stalks,
taken fresh from; the, ground, III TWEEN
ty-four hours. We all know chat
months Of labor and the entire discol-
oring of the fbre follows the treatment
by the ordinary process OF flax, and
hemp, while the ramie comes out white
clean, pure and unhurt.
Eight hundred pounds OF lint to the
acre isIto be expected from each cat
; ting of full growth In fair land. The
culture is. similar to that of cane but
: as the plant, when once set, is hard tt
eradicate, grows vigorously, and defie!
the Influence Of grass or rival plants
? cultivation is only needed to promote
: its growth. When ripe it should b'
= cut, but neglect to do this causes n
, special damage, so that it may Wal
days or weeks the, will of the free re
: publicans of Mexico and the Union.-
! The fibre islong, fine, and strong; tn
: plant, easy to raise, and hardy IN
: Southern latitude, and its preparation
: for marketi simple, and cheap in cost
! Under these circumstances we ma,
;. safely pronounce that the ramie will
= atan early day. take ahigh rank anon
! our staples.
: MEDALS IN THE PRUssIAN, ARMY II
we may believe the newspapers fror
! over the Rhine, Prussia will make
J good show at the agricultural exhibl
y ton at Billancourt, as may be Judge
- - by the following:
y b. One day;a Prussian general, one (
=, the old school, was reviewing reg
- ment of therlandwehr at Cologne. A
= !, he passed one of the companies of til
J., second battalion he suddenly stoppet
A., While his eye glittered with intens
- satisfaction. 81 .sMalan3 4.1 satN4t
r s "a fine soldier" said he, pointin
-, 20 out to the officers, accompanying him
~ man Of great heightand soldiery appea
ance. "A splendid soldier" and at Il
! same time he stepped up to the fiji
Y fellow, upon whose broad breast gil
% tered medal. '' "
" rseWell, comrade," said he, "youha,
ls been a long time in the army?"
ID "Twelve years, general" @ 81
- = see that you have been bra'
= soldier, and that you hayeswon q me-
y II al Do y fEHtttl : q q sAfA
T. T. ayes, general
= "Was it in Bohemia you gained it
no 81 was never there, general"
ia "Perhaps in Schleswig- Holstein 2"
h. "NO, general ftg
he well, then, in Hanover9' "a
RS "Not there, general" q q
fel "Where in, thunder did you get
Of then ~
To- TO- "General, 1t WAS not myself; b
in last week, you know, at the. exhibitio
Ter my pig was the latest; they gave !
ks this medal, and SOL wear it. - Pa
try is paper. 5.., 49,. J,,..oal ,i.,o.g !.
rid ~~~~~S>~~-o.- --~-~->,rr-,r !, al
Id, KINDNESS VERSUS CoNF1sCAT1oN.
at 1t is cheerful pleasure to us, says,t
l as N. O. Times, to note an incident
is flattering to the head and heart as
de- given in the following extract from
are letter dated !" Mason and Dixon's lin
Va Greencastle, Pa. 1t will be seen tt
our the vandal spirit Of confscation has
the no means clouded the heart and jud
SEES ment of all those who opposed a
i ba vanquished the armies of the South
!, The letter is addressed to Mr.. VIM.
d Ellis, Of this city, formerly 9 member
i've the Washington Artillery, now, Of
e''e Grr, .f CATCHING 81 Ellis. - A.