The New York herald., 1869-02-13
The New Textile, Ramie.

Fully one-third OF the entire commerce ofthe
world Is based on textiles and their fabrics,
and any improvements in their production
or handling affect the interests of mankind to
an extent only surpassed by those which affect
food. We have, therefore, viewed with great
interest specimen Of the cleaned fibre of the
ramie, which has been sent to us from Loui-
siana, where il has boen introduced and is now
offered rs q substitute for cotton in the labors
of the planter. The plant is native Of Java,
and was lrst brought to Europe in 1874, where,
by the beauty and strength of its fibre, it re-
ceiyed much attention in manufacturing circles.
It is now stated that considerable quantity is
annually received there and manufactured into
fabrics Of the finest quality, excelling linen in
strength, beauty aud finish, and rivalling silk
in lustre. But what most concerns US now
is the question OF its cost of production. Is
it cheap? Can it be produced cheaper than
cotton?
The great disadvantages of cotton culture in
our Southern States now are, first, that the
labors Of cotton plantation are continuous
from the beginning of January to the ending of
December, involving the payment of twelve
months wages to the agricultural laborer; and,
second, that this unexampled cost of labor does
not by any means secure a crop, as the cotton
plant is very sensitive to an excess both Of rain
and dry weather and is the frequent prey Of
the army worm. With these disadvantages
the cotton PLATTER rarely makes profitable
crop oftener than one season in three. If,
therefore, lie can find substitute for the cot
ton plant, which shall give him equal market
able returns, with less'cost Of production and
less liability to injury from natural causes dur
ing growth, he will be very likely to let cotton
slide and tlrn his attention to the new article
of production.
All of these advantages are claimed in be-
half of the textile rafnie. In pamphlet now
before us it is stated that the soil and climate
Of the Southern States are particularly adapted
to it's cultivation; that the plant will not be
hurt by long continued wet or dry weather;
thati its fibre, being contained in the inner bark,
cannot be injured by the cotton worm; that
small capital is required to cultivate it, as it is
easily propagated and cultivated, requiring no
attention after becoming two feet high, and,
being perennial, does not require rerlanting;
and that three crops can be harvested year,
each producing from nine to twelve hundred
pounds Of crude fibre per acre, which will sell
at present for ten cents, gold, per pound in
Europe. These are immense advantages in
favor of the ramie, and if even one-half of
them can be obtained cotton will soon be ban
ished from our Southern plantations and a new
process OF reconstruction established.
What are now to be demonstrated are facile
and cheap processes for breaking the stalk
and machinery for cardipg and spinning the
Hbre We may safely count on the inventive
faculty Of this mechanical age to produce these,
and need only to suggest to inventors TO look
at once into the subject, as offering remunera-
tive field for their genius. The sample Of the
clean fibre now before US Is beautifully white,
soft and glossy, closely resembling silk in its
appearance, and the fibre is very long and
strong, and 1t is claimed that 1t readily re-
ceives the most delicate dyes without injury to
its strength or lustre. We are not informed
what processes it has passed through in prepa-
ration.