The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1869-08-14
The Ramie Plant.

4uc hdu1lt GlduL.
The Mobile Register of July 18th, says that
from an article in the last Monthly Report of the
Department of Agriculture headed, "Ramie, or
China Grass written by the Commissioner, 1t
seems to be certain that n deliberate deception,
amounting to a palpable fraud, has been p%racticed
upon the people of the South by those engaged
in selling cuttings of the Ramie plant. Under
the impression that generally prevailed that the
article could be successfully and proftably Guilt
waited in the South, and that there WINS an active
demand in Europe for all that could be grown,
as well rs TO answer numerous enquiries, the
Register published, at different times, articles
from sources deemed reliable and authentic. CIV
ing practical Information in regard 10 its culture
and management. Among these, IN our issue OF
18th April last, we published copious extracts
from an advertising pamphlet, issued by j.
Bruckncr of New Orleans, who had 90 root cutt-
ings of the best quality ~ for sale at +" a very low
figure" In this pamphlet MIR. Bruckner says:
"a considerable quantity is annually received
in Europe, and manufactured into fabrics of the
finest quality, excelling in strength, beauty and
finish. linen of the finest texture, and rivalling
even silk in ~lustre." Such was the statement
the legitimate inference from which was, that
there would be no difficulty in finding a ready
market for all that could be grown. Again 1t
was stated in a produce circular received last fall,
from a Liverpool merchant, and extensively
published in the papers of the South, that the
demand in England for the Ramie fibre was
almost unlimited at thirty-fve to fifty pounds per
ton, according to quality but the present report
states that on careful examination by n clerk
OF the Consulate at Liverpool, not an ounce OF lt
was discovered, nor n man found who had seen
or known anything Of it." And the report
proceeds as follows:
$50 far AZ the department. has been able to
ascertain, little if any use has been made of the
fibre, except as an aid TO speculation in roots and
cuttings. To forward these commercial opera
tions, the statement is either falsely or ignorantly
made that this Ramie is not China grass, and
that 1t will not grow from seed 1t is time that
honest experiment had demonstrated either the
success of failure of this effort TO add to the list
of our producing industries. Thus far, while
instances of successful propagation and n vigorous
growth are numerous, and even a few cases OF
large plantations of the BGhmeria are reported,
no information of bona fde shipments of fibre in
quantity has been communicated to the depart
Incnt, or evidence offered of Its manufacture IN
tins country, beyond n few experimental spci-
mems. The economical utilization of the fibre,
by improved processes and skilled labor, Is a
great dcsideratum but the plumber of hopeful
e~xperimenters by ex;ortionate prices (for a plant
that will grow like willows) obtained through
misrepresentation and gross exaggcration, will not
be abetted by the Department of Agriculture"
The report then proceeds To state the difficulties
that have attended all attempts to manufacture
the article, and, as yet, no process has been
perfected nor machinery invented 10 accomplish
~ N1@- 40 1SAAAtt eA @hAANt A~&bf TAV - ~
in France experimenting in the preparation of
various fbrcs, and who has reported to the De-
partment the results of his experiments, is quoted
from. We give only the following extract:
The persons who have treated the China grass,
especially the French, in attempting to give it
lustre, gLaee surface, have SO treated by acids and
otherwise to get it white, as To make ii crispy,
CLASSY, Cinstcad of giace, soft and smoothly and
brittle. The consequence is, where attempts
have been made to work il up with silk, cotton,
n,- - ,...l 1900 I.n.,I. -. l.,r ru-,I -.
making it nap.
At the conclusion of the report is n letter
written by the Commissioner, Mr.. Capron, to
Senator Sprague, in reply to one from the latter
asking for 8 information relating to the present
status of the Ramie plant" from which we
make the following extract:
This plant las been propagated in this city for
fourteen years, and its seed has been distributed
by this Department for two years. 1t has been
planted throughout the extreme South, and every
where grows luxuriantly, and gives assurance
that unlimited quantities ofmaterial for fibre could
be produced. L am not disposed further To
encourage Its growth until manufacturers perfect
processes, and invent or adopt machinery for
preparing and manufacturing the fibre 80 econ-
Omically that a great demand shall spring up for
the raw material. All depends upon the success
full attainment of such an end. The farmer of
this country can answer any demand for it, but
will wait till the draft is made upon him.
/ have encouraged the experiment, and yet hope
TO see valuable results from it, While deprecatIng
the blind spirit of speculation in cuttings, and
the circulation of exaggerated and unreliable
concerning its habits, productions,
price OF its fibre, and the manufacturing demard
for 1t.
The Registe, says that the conclusion is ire
sistible, that those who have engaged in the
culture OF the Ramie, under the expectation of
realizing q profit, are destined to n sad disap-
pointment, and that its culture, must, for the
present, be abandoned. In the meantime, those
spectators in cuttings, who have been guilty of
this faud upon the public, should be indicted,
and punished to the extent OF the law, for " OBJ
tanning money under false pretenses."