The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1891-08-01
MODE OF PR0PACATINC, PLANT
ING AND CULTlvATING
RAMIE.
{ ISSUED By the Galveston Ransie co.,
CUTTING OF CROPS.

quickest and most economical in the
end.
1t is essential in cutting, to lay
the stalks down one way so as not to
entangle or break them; if to be de-
corticated in the green state 1--WE ex-
plain below the dry state also) the
stalks should be gathered in bundles
of convenient size for handling and
Immediately be carried to the decor
ticator, being careful to avoid any
more exposure to the sun than is
absolutely necessary, as the sun par
TALLY dries up the sap, making the
stalks too sticky to be properly de-
corticated; therefore ramie must
either be decorticated wholly in the
green state, or wholly in the dry
state; If to be decorticated in the
dry state the stalks should be left
lying on the ground for two or three
days, spread out and turned over
two or three times to thoroughly dry
the leaves, and also to prevent the
suns rays from cooking the stems.
AS soon as the leaves are dry they
are shaken off, the stems are gather
ed and tied into bundles of 200 to
800 each. Set these bundles up
right, one against another exposed TO
the sun, but changing their position
every day until dry, which will be in
about eight to ten days. OF course
the planter will avoid cutting for the
dry state when it looks like rainy
weather, and if he be behind in cut
ting and rainy weather sets in, the
stems must then be dried under
cover or drying shed or barn where
the current of air is allowed to pass
through freely. While it is best,
cheapest and easiest to decorticate
in the green state it must be done in
the dry state also for the following
reasons:
When the crop is ready to cut, it
can and must be done far quicker
than the machine can decortieate it.
Therefore one acre is cut for decorti-
eating in the green state, and another
acre is cut the same day to be dri'd,
to decorlicate after all the work is
done in the green state, thus keeping
the men and machinery at work while
another crop is growing.
DECoRTICATING.
To decorticate means to take the
bark from the stalk. In this bark is
contained a fibre called "tilasse,"
which is under the outside of the
bark. This bark is called the rib
bon, which is the marketable pro-
duct. We do not here explain how
to decorticate, as this work is quite
easily learned when you get the
decorticating machine, and while it
is not necessary, yet full instructions
will 90 with each machine, we are
informed. The ribbon when decorti-
Gated in the green state, must Of
course, then be dried, which is done
by hanging them on lines in the sun,
Or, if in wet weather under cover of
a shed. If decorticated in the dry
state they are of course already dry
and can be baled by an ordinary
baling press and are then ready for
market, being worth four to six cents
per pound.
RETURNS PER ACRE
We have explained that in the first
year but one partial crop can be
gathered, and in the second year
three crops, while in the third year
full development of the plant is had,
and therefore four crops are gather
ed. We give the minimum results
from one acre of four crops, which
may appear extravagant to the
planter, but just so sure as careful
attention has been given to the plants
as directed, so surely will the re-
turns be as figured below, if not
larger:
On one acre will grow 1000 plants
1--WE will figure on 10000 plants
only, each plant having at least Is
stalks, equaling 100000 stalks; 100
stalks, each 6 to z feet in height,
give l. lb. of ribbon; therefore 300,-
900 stalks give 5000 pounds of
marketable ribbon, which at 4 cents
per pound equals $l20. Consequent
ly four crops per annum would be
$3.50 per acre gross. Now deduct
for expenses, cultivating, cutting,
hauling, decorticating, drying, baling
and transportation, $3.50, which it
will not exceed at most, leaves net
profit per acre of $500, this being
$500 per annum.
If any information is required we
shall be glad to answer any letters
addressed to US, and we indulge the
hopes that the hundreds of thousands
of acres, which can be easily irri-
gated, now lying unused or now
being planted in cotton, will in the
near future be used in the cultivation
of perhaps the most profitable plant
that at present Can be grown in the
Southern States.
c. f. ANGEL,