Year: 1869

Several times, within the past few months,
we have taken occasion To call the attention
OF our readers To the reported agricultural
and commercial value of the ramie plant, a
new candidate for popular favor. which is
fast acquiring front rank in the estimation
OF manufacturers. We have been particular
TO reproduce all information concerning il,
that was obtainahle in our exchanges, mas
much as its reported value, the facility with
which 1t can be produced and its supposed
adaptation 70 our soil and climate made us
anxious that its production should be at least
experimental upon. and with whatever light
we might be able to throw upon the subject.
Since we last made reference to it the evi-
deoces OF interest in its production have mul-
uplied and we perceive an increasing and
more general pressure to attract attention to
and induce the growth of the valuable fibre.
A gentleman largely engaged in the manu-
featuring business, in Bradford, England,
has recently written to Mr.. Henry Hughes
OF San Francisco. inquiring whether he can
not induce the farmers of California to en-
gage in the cultivation of ramie, which he
considers, from all the information in his
possession, peculiarly entitled to the consider
alton and favor of the farmers Of California,
the sunny climate and parched soil Of which
lie considers admirably adapted to the most
successful. cultivation of this plant. This gem
tleman prouounces the ramie the most pro-
life and most valuable textile plant in ex-
istence. He has been extensively engaged
in the manufacture of very popular article
composed of ramie and wool, which consti-
tutes peculiarly rich, lustrous and durable
fabric, that has met with such favor that he
has found 1t impossible TO supply the demand
for this article alone, although he has, by
experiments, proven that rame mixes well
with silk or cotton, and he would fain eul-
brace new fabrics in his catalogue. The short
hbred cotton of commerce and the silk of the
spent cocoons, by mixture with the remark
ably long and strong fiber of the ramie, could
be made available for fabrics of great beauty
and durability. This authority states that
the ramie is more easily cultivated then cot
ton, of which it has also several other i'm
portant advantages. 1t is perennial, and
bears three times the weight of fiber that the
cotton plant does and is said to be always
worth fully double the price per pound. He
expresses the opinion tha: it would be found
impossible to glut the market with this fiber,
which is capable of application to an infinite
range of usefulness. The market would con-
sumo the production and call for more, he
says, if every farmer in California would go
to raising it. The seed is fine and a spoonful
of it would be sufficient to SOW quite large
bed, whence as in a nursery, to obtain the
roots from which to propagate for cultivation.
All the information that has been offered con-
cerning this plant has borne the impress of
reliability, and if only balf what mas seen
claimed for it is true, it would seem unac-
cOunta5le that our farmers should neglect to
venture an experiment, at least with few
ounces of the seed Application to the Hon.
Horace Capron. Commissioner of Agriculture,
Washington, D. c., will insure the trans
mission of sufficient seed for an experiment,
together with such information as will be ne
cessary to instruct in its cultivation. As the
venture seems to involve no pecuniary risks,
and the prospects of handsome returns seem
extremely promising, we again urge our pat
rons to make an experiment. If it succeeds
and the plant is as represented. it will add
an immensely valuable element of wealth to
our agricultural production and if it fails,
there will only have been a trilling loss of
time or trouble without any loss whatever in
money. Stockton Independent.