Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1896-02-22
THE CULTIVATION OF RAMIE
The Finest species Produced In This
State.
ITS POSSIBILITIES ARE UNLIMITED
rA'h with Gsn,'emsn who is rndeavor-
Ing 10 Have Rds-d m iexas oa
Large Scale.



Mr. W. d, Album. general manager OF
the Ramie-Fi and Land company, wns
visitor at the Houston Cotton EXCHANGE
Yesterday and entertained q number OF
the city's business men with q general
talk upon the possibilities OF ramie cui-
ture In Texas. MIR. Album had sainpius
with him showing the dried ramis stalks.
tho raw fiber. degummed FIBER. machine
cleaned hber Chinese hand-clcnncd hber
tire whitcncd and chemically prepared
staple and the rnmie manufactured intd
various kinds OF goods. The cnemicaiiy
prepared ramic is beautiful. snow
white. norsy. strong, silky Hber, unlike
anything else in the line OF textile nDers.
Texas has already eAporimented with
rnmie ana II has been found especially
adapted TO the soil OF this State. MIR.
Album snys ramie raised along the coast
country Of Texas and Louisiana is rec'
ognlEed as the finest In the world. tits
company Is therefore much interested IN
seeing the plan, raised In this section
and are cndcayoring to bring u 10 tho
attention OF farmers. They have made
arrangements to plant 5000 acres IN Jct-
fcrson county. 1000 In Brasoria ma will
also have a large acreage In LIBERTY.
county they have already fifteen acres
In cultivation on Dray's bayou about
three and one-hslf mica from the city.
Just below Gus warnecke's place. MIR.
William NJ. Rice also nas an acreage near
town, which has proven very sueeass-
rul experiment,
The ramle pan, grows to a noignt OF
ilvc TO seven feet. and the stains arc
about ms thick as a lead pencil, and c. NJ
iain the hbets bound togetner with
gum This gum was. for years me rb-
utacle in tho way OF successful msiu-
iauture Of the ramie, hut mechanical
nnd chemical process has recently been
invented that Huccessfully prcparN tue
nbcr for COMMERCIAL ana induatrinl pur-
posea. The process OF removing the woody
pArtH OF rnmie IS called "decorticHunH,
and formerly this waa done by maud.
the result being collection OF long, gresn-
lah, colored rpda about "a thick Us q knit
tinE needle. A machine was recently
made IN New Orleans which does this,
aud 1t Will do the work Of nineteen men.
The company represented by Nit. Adj
lunl guarantees that every pound OF rninio
iiber raised In this State VIII sell for =
cents. a much higher price can generally
bo obtained, hut this is guaranteed. 'rho
roots In small quantities cost $500 to $500
per 1000, but they can be purchased az
low as 400 where Il ID intended TO pant
tcnrco now but large cargo from uuate-
lnnln IL expected NJ New Orleans IN a
low MrtkNt AhNNt NNNb fOOtO Dulb1 VIII
pant an acre. lininle IL perennial and
after the nrst planting no new roots air
needed for about ten or twelve years. or
when It Ia evident that the constant cut
Ting has cnuaed the Original Plant 20 de-
teriorntu in growth. Tho bulbs MULTIPLY
exceedingly fast and us soon ~ n start IA
inudo In this state Il win be very easy to
iocurc supply sufAcent to plant many
thousand acres
An acre OF ramio Yields about COO pounds
at u cutting, and FULLY three cuttings can
a NlN In "a A. tatsw lts.
average Yield 1900 pounds. with careful
cultivation nve crops u year nave been
secured from this wonderful pant Botn
the pant aud the fabrics npdo OF its
fiber rcpo the attacks OF insecta. It's
luNuriance dlscournRca weeds aid tighten.
the labor OF tilAge.
Among the widely diversified products
made OF ramlc are ropes and cables thar
exceed the strength Of manila hemp.
lnble'cloths that excel the g.oas OF Irish
linoni lace that equn's the dclicnry OF
cotton and SURPRISES Ito durability, plusn
that rivals the lustef OF nenlskin. velvets,
damaskH and brotGeta whose exquisite
finish embarrassed \ further advancement
In textile art. Ramic n combined with
cotton, linen wool and silk, and u always
udds to the mixed texture an cement OF
greater usefulness or beauty. In nnnd-
brtoA, canlets and shawls, IA nlpncas,
tnrpets anu draporlos, II IN, with tho pos
, n exception q SILK, superior to tho
lho uber OF raini0 IN not the sole source
OF pront The leaves save OUTLAWS for
manure and hay, for they fortilize tho
sol with the very elements which tho
Plant requlrcn, or serve ms a ohenp ami
nutritious fodder. The woody stalk yields
good pulp for the manuf. ,cture OF paper,
The blls OF the Bank Of France are maids
chiefly OF this material,
Mr., Adlum was enthusiastic In hls
Efniho OF rnmio raised In Texas, which
he nnys has the largest and hnuat hber
or any species yet produced. Everything,
fe thinks. warrants general cultivation
OF tho now staple In this elate A semi
tropical climate. a soil that fosters rank
growth OF the plant, demand for tho
Product that far exceeds the supply and
Generators whose effectiveness, assisted
" congregational duties on competitive
lucrative returns from tho liRht tolls OF
tlllnge. are conditions no favorable TO tho
culture Of ramie In this State that his
company Will make IN especial endeavor
10 set TexaS farmers interested In ths
SUBJECT, Wherever 100 to i50 ncres arc
placed In cultivation they win establish
n decorticntins machine, which ensures
farmers that they can have the ramis
fiber successfully prepared for market.
u u also the object OF the Ramie-Flbor
and Land company TO establish a mill OF
for tho manufacture Of tho deoorticatcd
fber, This mill would be OF immense
ynluc TO nny town and the citizens of
fIouyton Will no doubt take some action
10 SECURE It's location here, The company
IN fnvorably disposed toward Houston,
owing 10 the unsurpassed receiving and
distributing facilities at this point Mr.,
Album VIII remain In tho city several
| days.