The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1869-01-20
From the Selma Times. |
Tho Ramie Plant.
DALLAS, Co, Dec. 5. 1868.

ana agricultural Xpcr1mcntallSt.' en-
closed find specimen of the new tex.
tilo "Ramie."
Upon application to the agent, Mr.
j. Bruclircr, of New Orleans, re-
ccivcd a,circular giving instructions
for planting, cultivating and prcpar-
ing the iil,re for market.
The price of the guaranteed roots
no states to be So per thousand
Two thousand roots will yield sufi-
cicnt to plant 80 acres the succeeding
year. He states that the plant is pc
culiarly adapted in its growth to the
cotton Stat@s, prcfcrring Il rich sandy
soil. The Eamic is harvested three
times year, each cutting producing
from niue hundred to twelve hundred
pounds per acre, making. an annual
average yield OF 5000 pounds Of
'crude unprcparcd fibre, worth at
present in Europe 10 cents per pound
in specie. The fibre prepared for
manufacturing purposes, in the form
send you, is worth G5 cents pcHpound;
but to bring it to this state from the
crude it loses about onc-haif. 80
The plant is stated to be indigo
nous to the Island Of Java, and has re-
ccived of late the bontanical name of
BochncrH Tens ;'$samo, and is the
finest variety of the urrtcacuc, or not
tic, family.
Mr.. B. says that it was only intro
luccd into the United last year in
March, and has already excited much
interest among European manufacture
crs. The fibre is contained in the in
ncr bark of the stem, cannot be hurt
either by wet or long continued
drought besides it requires a smnall
capital to start Ramic plantation,
the plant being easily rropagatcd and
cultivated. 1t is a perennial and
docs not require rcplanting. Mr.. b.
also states that the fibre raised here is
finer than that of Java, and the yield
per acre greater.
When the stems have attained
height of 8 to s feet it is rcudy~for har-
vest and can be cut with common
case knife. The fibre is extracted by
breaking the stems with "a macliinc
similarto the ordinary flax breakers,
by which means the planter can make
Il crop marketable at small expense.
In preparing the fibre for packing,
it should be done tip in hanks and
packed in bags or bales like cotton.
From the uncertainty of cotton as a
crop, and the unrcliablcness of free
labor would not the Ramic plant be a
better and more rcmuncrativc crop
for the South than cotton 1t is said
to be subject to no disasters, easily
cultivated, and after the first years.
growth, new sprouts will issue from all
parts of the bed, The growth becoming
very dense choking out all othcrycge-
tation. Tho fibre, as you will per-
ceivc, is very superior, being white,
soft, and resembling floss silk in ap.
pcarancc. Yours truly, ."
.. u. JOHN SrnorT.
!1HR PRorusED GOVERNMENT SpECU.
LNTIoN IN CoTroN.-What can he ex.
pcclca TO come of a ,inkcrcd State but
'ink"r;ng Senators? 'IIerc.is ore Spen:
GER claiming Is bHG Senator irohr Ala
bama, " @ho yesterday got up in tie
Senate gravelv and offered y Bill 'to
rcgutate the price and to encourage the
production ofcott4n tnMc United SMtcs:"
We should be enchanted to sec the ma.
chinrry by which this enlightened Spen.
Ger proposes TO regulate the price Of
cotton in the United States. Why not
a Bill to "r"gnate The price" Of boots
and shoes, or starch or carpet bdgs; or
turnlps, or Radical members of Con
grcss ?
AS for encouraging tie produc,iorl'
of cotton, that is an easy thing to be
done. Bnt as it can only be done eE-
fectually by sending The Spcncers and
snch Spcnccrs home from Alabama, to
mind their own business (if they can
find any. business to mind) in the States
Of which they are citizens, we fear that
it will be a long time yet before we shall
sec the production of cotton. cncourag
ed" IN Alabama or elsewhere. Letting
vel enough alone'is often found to be
hard. Buhhlr:se insane Radicals cant
even "lct III enough alone"
Ne,O Yorh World.
PRoDucrIoN Of CorToN.-Wc pub
lish elsewhere, u j,nlicious article, show.
ing The, necessity of ali increase in our
cotton crop. ond the methods by which
it is to DC augmented. Among these
methods. The cl,irf place mnsl be assign
Ell to the labors Of the planters them,
selves. Private enterprise, and not
governmental aid, must accomplish Tho
extension Of orr cotton producing in.l,ls.
try. We protest, therefore, againt the
principle Of the Bill introduced yesLcr.
dhy into !he Senate by Mr.. Spencer, OF
Alabama. This measure would not only
fail fits ostcnsible purpose Of stimulat.
! ing tAc production Of cotton and "Pregu-
latlng its price, but it would do tho most
egfegious harm in several ways. For
example, it would convert 'oiir reYGMhe
officers into cotton spectators. This
is obvious from the very terms in which
ltbe Bill is drawn. gp5st5 .,agsl
ao haG [M Y. Compsonwea1M.o
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