St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1891-02-07
The Spinning of Ramie.


spun in this country, as announced by the
Herald yesterday, is an open secret among
fiber experts, and has been for nearly two
months, the public announcement of the
fact being properly delayed until such
| measure of success had been assured as tc
render certain the value of the process.
Ramie, rhea, or China grass is by nc
means new discovery. 1t is the fiber of
species of nettle, and has been used
almost from time immemorial by the
Chinese for the fabrication of light cloth
ing, nets and lines. 1t was introduced into
England about ninety years ago, receiving
the commentator of the manufacturing
institutes, aud since that day efforts to
make the fiber available to modern pro-
cesses have not ceased. Not less than a
million dollars has been sunk in unsuccess
full attempts, some OF which have produced
cloths of beautiful texture ard finish. The
hard nature of the fibre has been the
stumbling block, special machinery being
necessary for working it, and the finished
material being liable TO ''slip in the weave
or to crack-two very serious defects For
many years the government of India
offered a large premium for process
which would fit ramie for modern looms.
Progress has Utou SLOW. He ttAtllS
journals are filed with notes, following
the step by step advances. Successive
international exhibitions have had greater
or smaller displays of ramie. At London,
in 1858, the exhibits were such as to sug-
gest a brilliant future for the fiber, and
from that date to the present time ramie
has been a valued exhibit at every world s
fair. At the late exposition in Paris a
splendid showing WAS made Of fiber and OF
finished cloth. These and the majority of
efforts to utilize ramie have been as COM
petitor to silk, use which its fneness and
its beautiful natural gloss have suggested.
Lyons has for the mos: part, OF late years,
been the place of experiments, on account
of the value of it's silk interests, while
chemical and historical Investigations have
been largely forwarded by the Natural
History Institute at Rouen.
The prime difference between the treat
ment of ramie in Europe and that during
the successful Providence experiments lies
in the ungumming. Mr. Toppau, whose
solvent has in the case of cotton and wool
produced excellent results, is enabled to
resolve these fbers to the single cell. This
act, proved by the many microscopic
studies of Prof. John Sears, of the Pea
body Academy at Salem, has had its in
huence upon the study Of botany, changing
in many cases the acknowledged form OF
plant cells. The advantage of solvent
as against the corrosive agents in vogue Is
too evident to need Discussion The i'm
mediate result of Mr.. Toppan's treatment
of ramie is its subdivision to the ultimate
cell, which renders it pliable and available
for use on any ordinary wool working
machinery. In spinning, the new fiber is
non elastic, and from this fact has arisen
whatever difficulties have been encoun-
tered.
a second difference between the Euro
pean experiments and those of Prov dence
lies in the class of goods manufactured.
In Europe silk and fine threads have been
attempted in this country yarns are the
product which probably will find them
selves in competition with flax Indeed,
rane fiber is nearer to flax than to any
other of our useful fbers, maintaining it's
hold in the thread by means of Irreguiari-
ties of growth. Fiber experts agree and
have always agreed that in the ralnie there
is fine useful fiber, unaffected by damp
ness, which must be of exceeding value
when freed from its bark and gum. 1t is
to be hoped that the Providence expert
ment, which has received the commends
ton of Mr. Dodge. the fiber expert of the
agricultural department at Washington,
may be the stepping stone to the estab
lishment of valuable industry for our
country.-Boston TRANSCRIPT.