The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1876-10-07

rAsel.,. T,ssnsu. rlssssay r-,r
&: g. q: = = A r.
rhas the 6bre Of the ramie Is longer and more unl-
form than all the others. amer that q slik. n 10
stronger. offers greater rcsistsnce 20 traction and 10
torsion, and Is more elastic than hemp aud Tar. aud
even cotton, which Is more aexlble in twIsting Ra-
mic 10 these respects only yields the palm 10 silk. II
10 these qualities we add those 81 the sparkling
whiteness and brilliant luster Of lie hhre. the easy
excessive multiplication On yields three crops yearly.
and as much as 1000 pounds 81 fbre 70 the acre).
there are surely many chances Of success In store TOE
the ramie plant.
Nevertheless Il is not called upon to rival cotton.
which IL scarcely resembles. but IL viii furpses both
hemp and FAX Ia the manufacture Of Gne, damask
table linens, tickings. fine cambrics and body linens
(shirtings). IL viii also be mixed With cotton 10
make damAsk stats where the design. produced BY
the ramie. win be brought out by its ~brillisncy upon
the dull cotton ground work. In q word. . rich
field Is presented by this new culture, aud the day 10
not far distant when these hbrcs hitherto neglected
will be In demand everywhere.
An extract from a report by George e. Schaefer,
NJ. D., United States Patent Once.
The sample Of ramie Gbro In the collection OF
The u. s. Patent Once. I have Submitted 10 cx-
animation. the result Of which viii he given
below.
The specimens of the crude material cxamin.
ed were those obtained from the London Exhibit
ton Of 1881, and others kindly presented by
Joseph BAlcsiier. late Commissioner 10 Cochin
China, &C. which were also accompanied by the
plant itself, obtained by him In Java.
The chief difference In tho specimens n the color,
which IN The Java plant, Is lighter, with a tendency
towards green, and with somewhat more OF a gloss.
The half-bleached and full.blcaohed line and
tow as received from London, were compared
with the best specimens Of English. French. and
Belgian Flax, from the same exhibition, which
last as usual were unblcached ; q very slight OK.
animation nj OnCa shows tho remarkable linnfenno
between the two materials. The nlamenis OF the
aax line, although very hne. showed the ends Of
tho component cells, which, on repeated handling,
separated from each other. The dlaments of the
China grass on the other hand, although they had
been subjected 20 the process OF bleaching, show
ed no such loose ends, and after long continued
manipulation, still remained smooth, glossy and
apparently single celled. To be certain upon
this point, specimens, after boiling In an alkaline
solution. OF a strength which would Insure the
separation Of the individual cells, were repeatedly
passed back and forth between the nnEors. and
then carefully examined from end 10 end, under
the microscope. Every effort was made at all
doubtful points, by needles 20 obtain a separation
IL possible. As evidence OF the care bestowed
one to two hours were moro than once expended
upon the scrutiny OF a single nbre. The result OF
fact that the single cells Of the line OF China grass
ne Of an extraordinary length. often equal 90,
and sometimes far exceeding that OF the longest OF
which we have any record. Five, six and seven
lNEutEs ottui 10 - = " uu AfnEtMs III UnI
case a llament OF even ten inches In length was
severely handled, without showing any signs OF
being composed Of more than one cell, but, In
tow Of the bicaohed nbre furnished in'abundanoe,
single cells, or fragments three inches or more In
length.
strength OF tho " China grass " cordage, as In any
given length, IL has fewer breaks Of uninterrupted
continuity than any other fibre. The character OF
the single cells Is as follows In diameter, taey
are required TO make a line OF equal length. In
cross section they are irregular and the greater
diameter Ii found sometimes In one direction, and
in another somewhat after the manner
Of cotton. This giving an advantage in spinning,
a better hold OF the hbres upon each
other than II circular In section. Tho fun bleach.
ed line above mentioned 10 remarkably glossy and
soft, and In some respects not unlike sIlk In mp.
In order 10 have q long nne fibre the
should stand pretty close, and when In
small patches; u should be surrounded by other
plants OF similar hight, In order 10 have the whole
yield Of the same quality.
Extract from a report OF the Vienna Exposition
Of 1873. Raw Materials"
(RAxH) W~ETIoG-Durina the last two years and
chiefly since 1867, much attention has been paid 10
extensively during the middle ages, when all The
navigating the Volga carried sails made
Of the 6bres OF these plants, which werc cultivated
by cotton the use Of these nbres Of the nettlc be.
came limited 10 the IIimalaya and China, and
some other parts Of Asia and the Oriental islands.
the exhibition OF Paris and London the nbies
he beautiful product obtained from them were
was renewed attention paid 10 the
ibres ind since the experiments Ia their cultiva.
ion haze been made with great success IN Ger
Iugal, and especially In North America, Mexico,
Havana, and Brazil. The government has Intro.
iuced and uninteruptedly assisted the cultivation
1f the Rhea crops in India according 10 the CHI
fashion, a prize having been oier.d for the
construction Of . machine which should s;Er this
beautiful fibre from the bast
coRREsPoxDExcE.
Liverpool, August 81, 1876.-Ramie ~fbre-from
favor now before me I withdrew three samples,
he two darker and coarser ones represent q common
Of Bombay jute. and would compete with
ure. I may quote Il at 20 to E22 per ton. These
are based upon the small samples you
ent, and would strongly urge upon You the ncces-
ity OF having larger samples sent on or a trial par
Of say 3 or 4 tons, with such q basis 10 work MP
IN l would then be able TO give you very close quo
atoms. The demand ID good Ia this market for such
frticles OF fbre, and a very extensive sale could be
ifected II annually sent forward. From the cxpla-
this fibre and its cultivation, I judge that q
cry important business should result from this ven.
and l assure you that my utmost endesvors
hall at all times be made 10 develope IL satisfactorily.
Liverpool. August q. ls7b.-sample lot OF abre.
t is most important TO have this 20 that the market
nay be thoroughly tested; The values / have given
on are those simply based on lie minimum gfiiiiy,
ut with good samples TO work upon some other uses
lay be found for II. which would enhance the value
No. . sample resembling jute; I am lay
lg this fibre before some wooden manufacturer and
there, and If suitable for any such purposes the
would be nearly double that given in my for
Ter letter. b
Liverpool, Nov. 3, 1871 feel confident upon my
lrther going into the matter Of ramie fibre that the
1~terprise you are nursing win mature into q vast
nd remunerative business 10 oil concerned In II,
nd upon receipt Of the larger samples I will push
'rward the matter with all speed.
Liverpool, Nov 0, ~1676.-Ramie FIBRE: the tests of
made by wooden. silk. ALPACA, mohair and cotton