Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-11-02
RAMIE AND ITS FUTURE.

have been interested for some days
past in unique exhibit in show win
dow of "ramie" and goods made from
the fiber of that plant. Little is known
of ramie in this country, but it is begin
ming to be extensively used by manu-
facturers of cloth, and there is decid-
ed tendency among certain classes of
capitalists to establish purely Ameri
can industry through the encourage
ment of the growing of the ramie plant
by farmers, and its preparation into
threads of cloth. Mr.. S. Ri. Slaught, of
California, who is in Washington, has
been urged by certain interests to erect
a ramie factory at Alexandria, to be
operated in connection with college
where q general education in this in
dustry could be given and apprentices
trained thoroughly in the manufacture
of ramie. He is decidedly enthusiastic
on the subject of the development of
the ramie industry and predicts that
when the wonderful qualities of the
fiber and the ease of its growth are
thoroughly understood it will in large
measure displace vast importations OF
silk and wool, and should make in
roads on the output of cotton and
wheat, thus increasing the price of that
raised.
Ramie is now grown extensively In
China, Japan and India, Mexico, Ha-
waii, Samoa, the West Indies and South
America. In the United States it has
also been cultivated in small quantities
in the gulf States and California. The
main supply comes now from China,
where for many years it has been used
either singly in the preparation of fab
RIGS or as an adulteration of silk goods.
The fiber is remarkably strong and sus-
ceptible of being woven into almost
any quality of fabric. from the coarsest
to the finest textures, the latter of
which rivals silks in delicacy. 1t can
also be dyed in any color. One great
advantage claimed for the ramie plant
is that it gives several crops year, Of
ten producing as many as four, and be-
ing perennial, does not require re-root-
ing for sometimes as long as twenty
years. 1t is thus most economical oc-
cupant of the soil, and Mr.. Slaught con-
tends that it can be profitably cult
waited when once the farmers have come
to know how to handle it, and when
the methods for its preparation have
been improved in the point ofeconomy.
One great disadvantage so far has
been the difficulty in securing ways for
cleaning and ungumming the fiber in
such way as to compete with the ex
ceedingly cheap labor of China, where
this process is all conducted by hand.
The Chinaman produces only one or
two pounds of fiber per day, worth, per-
haps, 10 cents.
Mr.. Slaught claims many advantages
for the ramie fiber over the flax and
hemp, and also a capacity to rival the
best cocoon silk. He believes in the
near future the capitalists of the cOun-
try will realize the wonderful oppor-
tunties here given, not only for sue
cessful competition with the Chinese
importation, but for the establ shmept
of an industry that will become one Of
the leading sources of revenue of the
United States. The uses of ramie, he
says, are SO varied, its fabrics so uni
versal in character, that in few years,
with factories in good working order
and the farmers supplying the stock
regularly, ramie goods will be used by
every class of people in this conutry.
Meanwhile, he contends there must be
a single or divided process of demon
stration, in which the government
should aid.