St. Landry democrat., 1891-01-31
Ramie.
PLANTING

PLANTING.
The ground should be plowed as deep as
the conditions and character of the land |
will admit. The ground should be we'll
pulverized by narrowing and rolling II
necessary. The rows should not be less
than five feet apart; five and onehalf or
six feet would be preferable. light
furrow four inches deep should be run,
into which the pieces of roots should be
dropped one foot apart and covered to the
depth of three or four inches. No more
care is required than in planting potatoes
as the roots will grow in any position
This mode of planting requires from seven
to nine thousand roots or pieces of roots to
the acre, according 10 the distance between
the rows.
Where it Is desirable to plant larger
screage with the same quantity of roots,
they may be planted four, i've or even six
feet apart in the lows, and when the
stalks have grown two or three feet high
they can be layered down toward each
other from the parent root, but when the
increased cost of cultivation and labor IS
considered, it would appear that close
planting is more economical. Should the
conditions of the land be such as to admit
of water standing on the rows, 1t would
be necessary to raise ridges to plant on in
stead of planting fiat in which case the
roots should be planted little deeper to
prevent drying out before they form root
lets The objection to planting on ridges
is that ramie forms roots near the surface,
and C rntinued cultivation constantly tends
to increa . the height of the ridges. maxi
ing it very iDc0nvenient TO harvest evenly
with reaper.
the best time of the year to plant roots
is In the spring and fall, but they may be
planted at any time from the first of
March to the last of October. although it
would not be advisable to plant in very
dry hot weather.
| Tnere is no more necessity for leaving
roadw through the field for hauling OUT
| the crops than there is in field Of corn. The
roo will not be injured by driving over
the ridges few times.
CULTIVATION.
The FIRST season ramle requires careful
attention and cultivation. The ground
should be kept clean and loose around the
| plants Until they get good start. Special
care must be taken to replant al vacant
places where roots failed to grow. This
should be done with the best roots, and
small patch of good roots should be re-
served for this purpose. Stalks from ad-
jscent plants may also be lay cred down to
ill the weak spots. If this is not attended
to the first season it will be very dltncult
t. accomplish afterwards, as the ola plants
will make such early and vigorous growth
that new weak ores will be thrown into
the shade and fail to close the gaps
After the stalks have reached the average
! l. 6 ,s,l innhnC ha ont "a
field should be moved d." TO within one
inch from the ground. Numerous side
shoots will then be thrown out and new
stalks will come up from the roots which
will produce light crop Of good ramie.
which should be harvested in August.
After this a heavy crop will grow and be
ready cutting in the fall. In subss-
quent years three full crops may be relied
upon.
During the winter little can be done ex-
cept to attend to the drainage of the fields.
The burrows should be SO arranged thai
water will not stand near the roots for any
length of time. and heavy washipgs pre-
vented. ON hiliy lands where it is I'M
possible to grow ordinary cultivated crops
on account of the soil washing away,
rarnie will soon form mass of roots that
will hold the soil permanently, provided
the rows are properly laii out. AS early
In the spring as possible, after the soil is
friable, the fields should be we'll cultivated
and man ure, cotton seed meal or her fer
tilizng substances supplied according t.
the conditions Of The land After the first
crop has been harves' ed, which will b.
near the first of jane, according TO seasons,
the second blowing should be done and the
leaves of the first crop turned under. The
, same process should be applied to the
second and third crops. These four plow
ipgs per annum are all that is required OF
necessary. In fact, the growth is so rapid
that it would be almost impossible to give
. it more cultivation. The leaves being
very large and abundant, densely shade
the ground, giving grass and weeds but
little chance TO grow.
1t is possible that the fall blowing
should be dispensed with, as it would per
haps stimu ate growth when the plan,
, should rest, although it does not seem tc
require rest, but grows in winter sppar-
emily as we'll as in summer. Any decided
frost cuts it down to the ground, but with
, the first few days of mild weather il
+ makes new start and continues to grow
, until the next frost. Rame requires gooc
cultivation like any ether crop, and it i:
, certainly necessary that three blowing:
> should be given it to obtain the best re-
, suits If the roots are permitted to spreac
for two or three years, they will form I
solid bed from row to row. leaving NJ
room for cultivation. This must be pre-
vented by using sharp rolling cutter OF
the plow, trimming the b, DIS or ridges TO ,
width of not over eighteen inches or TIVE
feet. The method tor doing this shoult
be to cut or trim from one side only an<
allow the roots to spread on the other side
This would annually remove the old hare
wood, keep the roots renewed and vigor
3 ons aud rerpetuste the crops. The root
that are plowed out. if not required TO-
, planting, should be gathered and stored
like sweet potatoes They are excellen
food for hogs. In case ramie should b.
visited BY late moderate frost in tn
spring, not severe enough to deaden TIN
stalks, il will have the effect of stuntins
the growth and making poor crop. |
, would be advisable in such cases to cut /
all down to the ground and let it take
, fresh start.