The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1869-06-05

rows about tuur inches apart. and with q hclghl
Of half an inch. bars or knives Of brass or other
metal, of four descriptions. one Of these has
saw teeth. another a straight edge. another has
is teeth placed edge ways across, half an inch
apart. shaped something like 4 horseshoe and
the Other, which NAV De omitted without dctri-
mcnt. has 9 wayciiuc edge across the cylinder.
This cylinder l. made 20 reyolve about four
hundred times per minute. and may be propelled,
either by animal or light steam power. The
cylinder with IL knives. does the principal part
oi the work in cleaning the ramIe, hemp, okTa,
hop aDd other ike ibr1us plants. But - com
plctc It's usefulness there ! needed q fixed table.
on which the plants. A. many as . hand can hold
az Il time, are pressed mp 10 where they can be
riSpcd, etc, by the knives. This table has 4
metallic edge OF about four inches in breadth,
which, tor the first OPERATION. i cpncayc aud tits
e4ui-dIstant from the cylinder, almost touching
It. In the second olcraUIOn a metallic edge Of
equal width. which = convex with like diameter
with the cylinder. replaces the c0ncaye one.
Tue mose OF operation may perhaps bc now
best described by quoting from the latters patent
Issued by the United States. l4tn September.
1867. 10 Bcuitp Ityezl O! SlHtccJmapan. Mexico.
" The hemp or ike plants freshly pulled. and
the rtmle or like plants freshly cat, the roots
remaining in the ground. the operator takes a
handful OF them in his right hand, grIsping them
two feet or thercabOuts from the lower end. and
motion being given 10 the cylinder. he presents
them against the knives across the meta-covcred
edge OF the table. when the action of the knives
strips of the leaves. scrlpes away the bark. and
takes out the woody substance and threc-iourths
OF the rcs.nOus or gummy matter, the rubbish
falling upon the ground and the fibre being un-
hurt. The operator then subjects the other end
oi the plants in the same way To the operation of
the knives with a like result rs above, and the
plants are thus cleaned throughout their whole
length. This first operation is performed with
the concavc edge adjusted upon the table. The
Ul4srltuF then takes ~fN Skgiu. pr hank. of fbra
thus prepared and uniting them. places them in
water 10 steep and ~dccUmppSc or soften the re-
naming onc-luurth OF the gum. This mass of
hbrcs, after being thoroughly saturated, is again
subjected to the action OF jhe machine, the con-
cave table edge having been removed. and the
edge substituted in its stead. The effect
OF this second operation Is to make the fibres
quite soft and white, and 10 spread them ont like
cloth. They are next placed in a solution of
lyc-suap and water, heated nearly but
not quite 10 the boiling point. in which they are
70 remain a few hours. They are then
from the solution, and, being dried.
are ready for manufacture, packing for shipment,
W any other use"
The machine was exhibited and tried Mt the
Fair of New Orleans. and was found to be
that its patcntet claimed for it and to be able
10 bring out the fibre clean, soft and white in
.wcnty-iOur hours, or less from the time when
stalk Is taken from the ground.
One machine Will clear two hundred and fifty
pounds Of fibre per day. and the price of each
has been fixed mt two hundred and fifty
II OF Leeds X Co., New Orleans, by whom it is
manufactured.
THE MANUFACTURE OF RAMIE FIBRE. >
The Jahn,eraie of China. India, Java, etc.
Which are not identical but quite similar, all I
n very fine fibre that from the Jayanese {
annie, or Bgh1Herale iepac5SSiHa, being the finest. !
he Is. OF India, Cochin China, China, etc, is
there into cloths resembling fine linens
nj silk, linen and wool, to form cloths called
cncTally by the names of these substances,
ut sometimes, when quite fine, and with slight d
imiXturc. styled grass cloth. Seersuckcr is also g,
species of ranie cloth. h
With the prospect of having hereafter n larger i
lpply of the fibre. Il factory has been established :,
Manchester III England, and others in France =
nd Belgium. for tine express purpose of manu- u
icturing ramie alone. These factories will rapidly u
lcrcase as soon Is the supply becomes regular \
ld certain. Any machinery suited for the man 4
lacture OF linen. will manufacture ramic, which
as the advantage of not needing to be bleached. >
WHY IT WILL BE THE GREAT STAPLE. "
The superiority Of this plant over others fur 81
shInS hbrcs for cloths, ETC., and its peculiaritics, II
ay be summed up as follows: 81
l. 1t Is readily propagated by root cuttings, I"
yers, and by cuttings of the stalks, when some
hat mature. The seed docs not seem to germ a =
ate 50 readily, and, being very minute, is difficult L
management by any except skillful horticul- Cd
rists. .
,. 1t is very vigorous in growth, and spreads >
by shoots and by the roots, which strike out 81
pidly both latcrrllly and downward. III
3. Unless where The ground freezes in winter. CT
ii not then, unless to Il depth greater than a vi
can 1t be destroyed by the cold Of winter.
TINS climate II Is therefore perennial. and will II
CD no rcplanting. This is the more important.
ace 1t Is only after the plant is well rooted that III
stalks grow large enough for profitable use. y"
:. The fibre is-likc that of hemp-to be found w
the inner bark of the stalk. 1t is, therefore. u
less liable TO be destroyed by worms. of anv oc
than is cotton, besides being as hardy Il "
ant as that Is delicate and prccariDus in growth.
,. Though cut Is many as five times i'm Southern u
sXIco IN each season, and here UOuisianal w.
obably three or four times If, through any lack III
labor or other circumstances, it cannot be cut
len ripe for 1T, il can stand in the field until u!
: cultivatpr is ready for it. i
o. The fibre can be prepared, ready for market, III
thin twcnty-fnur hours after the stalks are cut,
the use Of Ruezl machine. the only one bv Il
lch 1t can be done without rotting and discolor- ~
it. m'
!. The fore when thus prepared is purely 20;
ate, exceedingly fine. far more so than the i"'
sen island cotton or linen. ia 50 much that "'
iivides almost infinitely, and the joints of it. an
seen under the microscope. are from four to ''
inches long. while the skeins or hanks are as P'
Z IL the plants themselves, which may he ten an
twenty feet when the plant has become Strongly
ted. re
}. The fibre rs grown and cleaned in Mexico ia
Mr.. Rozel was put ON the market. in London. Sd
500. and brought 60 cents specie. This year IIo
GS) It sold in the same market ut 60 cents per We
nd. 1t will be many years before its produc- hei
can become 50 general as 10 reduce these
res. Slr
II J. rrcsr,,.i ,b,. o,r Ill Ill En-
ID, GA AN average. rs 1t does Of cotton in |
'Ublc seasons, with this advantage that it "cI
have very few of the risks or dangers of the l
er. ma
D.. Its leaves and tender shoots are greatly o"c
p H. a. 80, -. - - - :" y" Il and
and to them. They also are an excellent =
for spinach, having been tried and G Ii
for this purpose. IEI'
l.