Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1869-08-16
THE RAn1E PLANT.

tue EngilSn manufacturers nhEc tnkSu ~
up, and produced some new and par
ticularly attractive goods, by interview
ing it with wool, the Ramie forming the
chains. Specimens of these fabrics have
been sent to San Francisco from Eng-
land, and an agency has been estab.
lished in that city for the importation Of
them. The agent states that he has re-
ceiyed instructions to order from China
100 tons of this plant, and to follow
this order up by regular invoices here
after ; also that he has been requested
by his employers to order at the same
time a large quantity of the seed for
California, and to make every effort to
induce the California farmers to culti-
vate it, because it is about to become a
leading staple for goods Of many new
varieties in England. He further says
that he will buy or make advances on
all the Ramie fibre he can get. Thus
there is encouragement to make a be-
giuniug at all events. But why should
not the Atlantic States, and, indeed. the
Southern States generally, undertake
the cultivation of this plant? Ifit can
be successfully raised in Texas and
Louisiana, why can it not be raised in
Florida, Alabama and Mississippi? It is
a very hardy plant. The Texas farmers
say that it stands drought surprisingly,
and that the roots will not be injured by
any winter frosts which are likely to visit
California and other States in the same
parallels Of latitude. The chief difficulty
in raising i, is found in the intense heat
of the South, which prevails between
cutting time and the new growth = the
plant being apt to dry up and wither
under continued exposure to the sun.
But this is a difficulty that can be OBJ
Waited by artificial means, and doubt
less the ingenuity Of the planters
will soon devise them. The follow
ing are said to be among the advantages
connected with the cultivation Of Ramie.
The plant is hardy and free from insect
ravagss. Its culture is cheaper than
cotton, and it will pay better. 1t sur
passes all textiles for human clothing in
length Of wear aud in the great variety
| Of combinations to which it is applica-
BILE. 1t promises to be a cheap and
popular substitute for linen. Mauufae-
turers say that it will, by rather rapid
advances, effect great and radical
changes 10 the styles Of wooden and
worsted combinations, known as stuff
goods, where its permanent gloss and
its great strength make it q substitute
for silk, and that it will be very largely
interviewer with silk itself, as is now
done iu India and Japan, forming very
desirable dress goods. It should be
borne 10 mind, however, that the prog
no,tications thus boldly put forward
are those Of persons interested in the
cultivation of the plant. "Thc wish is
father to the thought" on the part OF
those English manufacturers who have
gone into Ramie fabrics. The difficulty
Of procuring cotton Of the best quality
from India and Egypt, and of obtaining
it in sufficient quantities, so rs to be
sure Of having the requisite stock always
on hand, has been N reason why they
have turned their attention to this China
grass just now, and are drawing the
attention Of the world to it. The article
itself is not new rs n material for textile
fabrics. Fifty years ago summer coats
made of it were known under the name
OF sea-grass. MEMBERSHIPS, fine as
cambria, are made Of It in Manila, and,
before ~crinoline came into fashion, it
was used for ladies' skirts. For years
past certain favorite styles Of goods have
been made in Europe by mixing China
grass with wool and with silk, as they
do now in China and Japan. But, for
some reason or other, the China grass
summer. coats have disappeared from the
market, the fashion has changed, and,
perhaps, the manufacturers themselves
| withdrew this article from the market
because there was too much wear in it.
It was we'll known that its gloss was
permanent, and that it resembled fine
linen in texture and GOODNESS, but, APP
parently, it would last for ever. Posi-
bly,, too, the purchasers got tired Of
it, rs is not unfrequently the case with
regard to other ~long-enduring textiles.
There are several varieties of the Ramie
"A word, by the way, which is not to
be found in Webstcr's Dictionary,
although the plant has been in use for
textile fabrics more than fifty years,
and in Asia for hundreds of years. 1t
is called in common parlance China
grass and sea-grass. The French call
it Artie de Ia Chine. It's botanical names
are Urticd NInea and Urtied Cdndiedns,
two distinct varieties Of the same plant ;
aud Bachmsrid tenoeissimd, which last is
the scientific name given to Ramie, on
account Of the toughness of its fibre,
and is the species nov cultivated in
Texas. The name 1Ramie" is Of In
dian origin. It is said that Ramie can
not be raised on plantations from seed,
because the latter is too small and deli
cate for field culture, and it requires
finely dressed garden beds for proper
development. The plant must be raised
on plantations from cuttings and roots.
The first crop serves for supplying cut
tings and roots for the next, and certain
soils will yield three crops Of COO to
1000 pounds weight per acre. The
raw fibre is worth ten cents lin gold)
per pound, at present prices. With
cheap Chinese labor, it seems to US, this
Chiua-gras, can be made one Of the
mast otan1 ndn IF thia State