Arizona republican., 1895-03-24
ABOUT RAMIE.
Introduction of a New
Industry in Arizona.
A Beautiful Fibre of
Snowy Whiteness
And of the Fineness, Strength
and GIossiness of Silk.
The Salt River Valley Believed to be
Peculiarly Adopted to the Cul-
tivation of the Plant.

An experiment is to be made in the
Salt River valley with Ramie. Ii it
proves successful, local agricultural
prospects will be frightened and ex-
expanded and the extent and value OF
acreage greatly increased. Ramie is
textile plant, cultivated for ages in
China, Japan and other countries of
eastern and southern Asia. 1t belongs
to the nettle family, growsunder favor
able conditions to heighth OF elk feet
and produces a fibre which in strength,
fineness and glossiness is the nearest
possible approach to silk. 1t is woven
into costly fabric known as pine ap-
pie cloth, and is also mingled with silk,
cotton and wool. Silk and Ramie form
fabric superior for most purposes to
pure silk.
Attention to this plant was first at
tracted in this country by Professor
Waterhouee of Washington university,
St. Louis, nearly quarter OF century
ago. About ten years ago Its cultiva
ton was begun in certain parts of the
south, more extensively in Texas than
anywhere else. The absence of any
machinery, however, for decorticating
it, that is, separating the fiber, and
removing q peculiarly tenacious gum
prevented the industry attaining COM
mercial importance in this country.
In China and Japan this had been
done by hand, but there was no hope
THAT in America or southern Europe
competition could b. established with
the cheap labor those countries.
The price of Ramie fiber, therefore,
ranges at from 8 to IL cents pound.
Samuel B. Allison, New Orleans in
ventor, has, however, completed ma
chine by which ten tons Of the plant
may be daily converted into perfectly
cleaned and degummed fiber. For nearly
year ago W. A. McGinnis, the archi-
tect, has been in correspondence with
Mr.. Allison, and yesterday he received
from him samples OF the plant, fiber
and quantity of seed sufficient to
plant five acres. The fiber is OF great
strength, snowy whiteness and silky
glossiness.
One doubt existed as to the practi.
cabillty OF its cultivation in North
America and that was concerning it's
ability to withstand the climate. The
late frosts which swept the orange in
dustry from Florida and the blizzard
prevailing in all parts of Texas, cover
ing the growing Ramie with snow had
no i'll effect upon it.
Experts believe that the soil, climate
and particularly the irrigating facilities
in the Salt River valley. are peculiarly
! favorable to its cultivation, for it's
natural home is in countries where irrI-
cation prevails.
Mr.. McGinnis has interested DIR.
A. J. Chandler, H. L. Chandler, E. j.
| Bennitt and other gentlemen in the
subject and the coming season will wit
ness an experiment of whose success
there is absolutely no doubt.
Mr.. Natho, Texas enthusiast on the
subject OF Ramie says: 81 first COM
menced raising Ramie in 1884 at York
town, Dewitt county, but as it was only
experimental | did not undertake it on
more extensive scale until 1885 and
my reason for doing SO at that time
was the gradual decrease in the
price of cotton. | have always found a
ready market in New York and Boston
and my profits off of one acre in one
years time has been 500, the crude
Fl Der bringing from $50 to 800 ton. l
have raised as many as six crops in one
year off the same piece of ground, but
of course irrigation is necessary for ex-
tensive crops"
1t might be feared that extensive
cultivation of the plant would lessen
its commercial value, but advocates of
Ramie call attention to the fact that it
can be cultivated only in certain favored
localities and that before its price in
the markets could be seriously affected,
if at all. the cotton growing business of
the world would be displaced.