The Cultivation of Pamie.

Otago Witness, Issue 2605, 17 February 1904, Page 11

The Cultivation of Pamie.

TO THE EDITOE. Sib, — Our attention has been called to certain articles appearing in various colonial papers urging upon planters the desirability of cultivating ramie wit'i a view to selling tho product in London and the Continental market. We are taking- a considerable interest in the cultivation of this fibre abroad, and especially in India, and would ask leave ' to call the attention of your readers to the i somewhat serious position which might b© brought about were tho /suggestions which are now being put forward carried out in the colonies without due thought. j The text on which the writer whom we I have in our minds bases his arguments is j " produce all you can and manufacture withj out delay," and he further states that j " ramie is a nettle easily grown and easily • worked." We have gone most carefully into ' this subject, and, so *ar as India is con- ! corned (and doubtless this applies to the colonies too), we can assume you that I though, perhaps, from a technical point of j view ramie can be -easily grown, yet practiJ cally nothing is known about the best methods of cultivating it, and we can also assure you that, so far as its manufacture is concerned, though most difficulties have ! been overcome, yet much has still tc be done, and it is inconceivable that the fibre I can ever do all that is claimed for it — ; namely, oust cotton, hemp, flax, jute, silk, and the like. It is fable? of this sort that did so much to. set back this new industry many years ago. So far as cultivation is concerned, a fairly considerable weight of fibrous strips have been sent to us from India, and some have | proved satisfactory, but in the majority of ' cases, when they com© to be put to a prac- . tical test, it has been found that the actual fibre possesses certain disadvantages as compared with the china grass of commerce. These difficulties can doubtless be overcome by cultivation ; and, in fact, they are being overcome, but to advise colonists to-day to produce all they c:in is, in our opinion, most dangerous. We can only give to colonial planters the same advice we have given to those in India: "Do not waste your money in planting large acreage until you know that you can produce, a fibre fit to compete with china grass and siiitable for manufacturing purposes. To iprove this, the planting of quarter of an aero would ba sufficient. See that you get the right plant, and be as scientific as possible in your cultivation and as careful as possible in keeping full notes of th© times of e-itimg. Do not go to the cost of buying a decorticating machine, but first strip by hand s\nd slightly scrape with seme fairly blunt instrument. Dry these strips and carefully bale them, and then send them Home ir» numbered bundles of about one hundredweight apiece, to be reported tipon by thol manufacturers." Mr John Phillippson, manager of our •works at Homford, Essex, will bo prepared to report on any fibre sent to him. He has had many years' practical experience in manufacturing ramie threads and yarns, and handles some tons of raw material every month. We can only add that if tho suggestion? concerning which we ai© warning planteis were carried out we fear that tho market would be flooded with a product for which no purchasers would be found, and that

another check would be given to the real aclvance made in this industry in the Unite'! j Kingdom during the last three years.— , I am, etc., Arthur C. Carpenter, Secretary for the Ramie Fibre Spinning Syndicate (Limited). P.S. — An article on china grass (\ve would mention that ramie, rhea. and china grass ; for manufacturing purposes are sll one) appeared in the Anglo-Indian Review at th." ' commencement of this year, written by Mr Frank Birdwood, who is associated with our • company. — A. C. C. The steamer Buerania has been chartered to load 5000 tons of wheat at Sydney for j Hcme ports.