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

Mr.. EDITOR viii you allow me TO address the
public through the columns of your paper, on a
subject that / hope will ere long, be of vital i'm
portance TO Hawaii noi.
would like to present TO your readers, some OF
the facts which 1 have been able TO gather during
the past few years concerning Ramie culture and
its use in the manufacture of fabrics OF various
kinds hoping thereby TO dinuse a better knowl-
edge. of the subject, and create an interest in Il
that will lead to the cultivation of the plant on
4 these Islands, as an article Of export and for home
consumption as well. -
1t seems particularly opportune at the present
time to call the attention of the government, the
= king and bis advisors to this matter, as~it is their
known desire that avenues Of industry may be
opened to Hawaiians, the poorest OF whom could
easily cultivate their small kuleanas to pecuniary
advantage to themselves, while those OF larger
estates might reap corresponding benefits.
The attention Of the English government was
first called to the great value OF ramie fibre in
India, in the year 1903, and from that time down
to the present, they have been %unremitting In
their endeavors TO introduce 1t for use in the vari-
GUS manufactures iu their own country. They
have encouraged cultivation OF ramle by giving
various rewards and prizes for tho fibre, for
machines for cleaning IL in the best manner, and
for cloth made from the fibre.
The United States have not been behindhand In
the interest they have taken in the subject they
have done q great deal in the way Of obtaining
and disseminating correct Information concerning
it. They have also distributed the ramie seed In
various quarters, so that now there are a great
number OF patches under cultivation In the semi
tropical States OF the Union,
With such precedents az these, perhaps IL will
not appear presumptuous 10 suggest that the
Hawaiian government offer some inducements that
will encourage the introduction and cultivation Of
a plant here whose great value has been sufficient
ly proved, to make its fibre In great demand in
other countries, where 1t cannot fail TO always find
a ready and increasing market.
There have been a few efforts made already In
this country to raise ramie, but owing to q lack Of
the means for reducing the raw material TO a
marketable state, and Of reliable formaii
concerning il, they have been heretofore unsuc-
cessful excepting as they have proved how well
adapted is the soil Of these Islands for the produc-
ton Of the plant, and as 1t is already growing
here now, any who wish to engage in its %cultiva-
ton again, can obtain cuttings or roots without
the difficulty and delay Of importing them from
another country.
The obstacles which have hitherto prevented
the success of this important enterprise are now /
hope removed, and let me also hope that the facts
which | here present 10 your notice, Will speak for
themselves 10 a manner so forcible as TO be pro-
duetive Of results that will more than repay the
government for any outlay it may see Ct 10 make,
and individuals for being thereby induced 10 en-
gage In an enterprise as promising in it, outlook
as this which is before you.
Dr.. Orzanam, q distinguished writer and scientist,
has examined the subject Of the ramie and has shown
the great merits Of this plant. 1t appertains more
particularly 10 tne specie KNOWN az the Wnite nette
Of China, or China grass, Of which it appears 10 be
the most remarkable and useful variety.
The following, says DIR. Orzsnam, is the result Of
an examination Of this plant with the m~icrometer
and the microdynamometer, in the course Of which
the simple primitive fibre Of the ramie was compared
with that Of hemp, fax, cotton and silk.
This study relates to the microscopic structure;
the length Of the primitive fibre; the width Of the
fibre; the thickness Of the fibre; its resistance to
traction; its elasticity Of strength before breaking;
its resistance to torsion, (twisting)
The following is q statement Of the results OBJ
tanned, the magnifying power being 80 diameters:
THE fibre Of ramie is, so to speak, Of any length,
as it has been traced throughout q length Of Is cen
timeters, on the field Of the microscope, without any
break being found in il, whether it be constituted Of
q continuous cellula, or whether the different cellu-
las which succeed each other have lost their points
Of separation by reason Of a more intimate fusion
one with the other. Hence the fibre Of ramie pos
sesses great strength. 2-The fibre Of fax and
hemp, which appear 30 long, is, in fact, very short;
these are cellula fusiform fbres, Of about 3 centime-
tiers long, in juxtaposition at their e~xtremities, and
intoxicated one upon the other. The breaks always
occur at the weak points Of their junction. 3-Tbe
fibre of ordinary cotton is not more than from 2 TO
8 centimeters in length. Cotton, which has O long
staple, averages from 6 TO Z centimeters; hence the