The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-01-27
RAMIE CULTURE,
Another Effort Being Made to Establish
II in Kern County.
rKern County Echo.1

Another Effort Being Made to Establish
1t in Kern County.
Kern County Echo.l
From time to lime during the past seven or
eight years the Echo has spoken OF the adapta-
bility OF ramie to our soil and climate, and has
given its readers some facts concerning tn g
uses of this plant. For the information given
we have been chiefly indebted to J. {. Drury
who has given the matter much attention.
Several efforts have boen made to encourage
the growth of this fber-pro duc1ng plant. but
as yet nothing has been accom- llshed beyond
the dem onsiratiou of the fact that 1t grows
well ere and yields arge amount OF good
FIBER
During the past month there has been with
Us the forem est advocate of ramie culture In
the world, Mr.. Felix Fremery of Pari' France.
For many years. he has laoorsd incessantly to
INTRODUCES this plant into va-ious states and
foreign countries, and to encourage Its use in
tle mech anical arts. In the latter PARTED iar
he has been very successful, and today the de-
maud far exceed 3 the supply.
Since his arrival here he has interested the
Kern County Land company-nsver diftlcnlt
thing to do II one nns plan fDr sdvan cinR the
AGRICULTURAL prosp srity of this couAtry. 1t has
entersd into an agreement with Mr.. Fremery by
the terms of which he will p ant considerable
area to that plant and show what can actually
Heretofore the great drawback to the pro-
gre's OF tie industry has been the lack Of
su table machine for decor ticating the ramie-
and cleanins it. On this, Mr.. Fremery has
spent much time, labor and monsy, and he nJw
thinks that ha has accomplished the desire
work. This was The point on which the land
company first sought satisfaction! information.
Prof. W. Hiigard, OF the stats university, Is
the acknowledged authority on this nuoject IN
the west He has Kept in close touch with all
progress made in the cnlti vaiion and treatment
OF ranie and he pronounces the latest machine
invented for decoricatlou success. He re-
Gently wrote as follows concerhlns IL:
AFTER witnessing on yesterday the tr1sl OF
Fremery's rsnie decortioating machine, am
confirmed in the conviction | expressed verb
ally before, viz, that OF the many machines
which have thus far bsen brought before u.s.
this one Offers by far the moss practical solu-
of our labor supply, aud places ranlie culture
at leait along lide of such crops az alfalfa,
suga- heels etc, within the reach OF ordinarily
Intelligent farmers.
The advantages of the Fremery machine are
these: There is not III It's construction any
thing limiting the rats OF speed at which II
may be operated, save the feeding. 1t WORKS
hoth green aad dry STALK, which so far az
know, no other machine has attempted to do:
thus enabling it to work throughout the year II
desired The p: oduct Is a plain tibbo1 of bark,
without any 10 or Inconvenience i'll the way
OF tow or brok tibers, thus permitting each
IN manufacturer IN make such use OF 1t as he may
prefer, and in the manner best suited TO his
purpose. Withsl, the machine Is perfectly
simple, easy to operate or oiePtir and us cost
machine of approximately similar output
Mr. Fremery claims, and with some show OF
reason from whst have seen. that n machine
costing 300 Cha largest sizs recommended)
will in days run convert the crop Of one acre
into ribbons, selling at from to AZ cents
pound. Deducting 80 per cent from this esti-
mate, the output would still be nearly double
the performance of the best machine have
ever seen.
"Unlike most other Of our crops, the ramie
fiber need not, for a long time to come, fear an
overstocled MARKET as 1T is acknowledged SUI
perlor to both fax aud cotton, and will largely
replace these tibers as soon as a sufficient sup
ply can be produced."
When the Land com pany learned that Prof.
Hilgard placed this estimate on the machine, 1t
was ready to encourage the growth OF the plant
here. A piece OF land near Leido was accord
ingly turned over to Mr., Fremsry, who will
personally supervise the planting and harvest.
ing of the first crop. The only Stock OF roots
obtained here is what J. g. Dfury has ON =
small piece OF ground here in town. These
have all been purchased and will be trans
planted onto the Lsrdo tract, the objectbsins to
produce some stalks that the machine may be
thoroughly tested, and also that the exact mar
ket value of tue fiber may be learned. In the
meantime the stock OF roots will be increased
so that its cultivation by people generally may
proceed at once II every thing proves favorable.