EAMIE. 



SOIL. 



Ramie requires a rich, deep, moist soil, well drained, yet not sub- 

 ject to drou^lit. A dark, rich, sandy loam is best. Ricli, alluvial 

 bott(Sm lands free from overflow arc suitable for it. TJie plant will 

 not grow in undrained swamps or on stiff clays, and its cultivation 

 is not profitable on light sandy soils unless heavily fertilized. 



FERTILIZER. 



Ramie requires a fertile soil and, as its growth shoidd be continued 

 five years or juore on the saine land and heavy cro})s removed each 

 year if it is to be a profitable croj), the fertility must be kept up by 

 liberal applications of stable manure or commercial fertilizer. Talkie 

 I, from Bulletin 94 of the California Agricultural Expermient Station, 

 by Prof. E. W. Ililgard, indicates the elements removed from the soil 

 by ramie. 



Table I. — Soil ingredients (in pounds) withdrawn from 1 acre by a crop of ramie. 



Soil ingredients. 



Potash 



Soda 



Lime 



Mapne-sia 



Manganese oxid 



Ferric oxid and alumina 



Phosphoric acid 



Suli)huric acid 



Silica 



C'hlorin 



Total ivsh constituents. . , 

 Nitrogen 



Leaves 

 (4.25 tons). 



fiS. 13 



8.99 



5fi6. 91 



114.58 



1.92 



38.56 



77.13 



30.86 



692.71 



41.56 



,641.35 



206. 10 



Stalks 

 (7.25 

 tons). 



155. 99 



33. 63 



71.77 



43.68 



1.45 



12.16 



67.71 



14.53 



7.06 



2.50 



410. 48 



105. 85 



Bark 

 (2.75 

 tons). 



27.86 



7.52 



19.14 



10.01 



0.20 



0.71 



10.86 



3.17 



4. 4S 



7.79 



91.74 



57.75 



AMiole 

 plant 

 (14.25 

 tons). 



251.98 



50. 14 



657. 82 



168.27 



3.57 



51.43 

 155.70 



48.56 

 704. 25 



51.85 



, 133. 57 



369. 70 



Table I shows that the leaves, constituting nearly one-third of the 

 total weight of the plant, contain more than two-thirds of the total 

 ash. The leaves and stalks should be left on the farm. The bark 

 containing the fiber is the only portion having a market value. It is 

 the only part that needs to be removed from the farm, and its pro- 

 portion of fertilizing elements is relatively small. Ramie requires 

 more potash than wheat, but less phosphoric acid. If the leaves and 

 stalks after decortication are returned to the land they will aid in 

 keeping up the supply of humus in the soil; otherwise, stable manure 

 must be liberally ap])lied, unless winter legumes, like crimson clover, 

 can be grown, to be plowed under in the spring. 



PROPAGATION. 



Ramie is propagated by root cuttmgs or by seeds. The plants 

 may be more abundantly multiplied from seeds, but they grow more 

 quickly and with more certainty from root cuttmgs. Seeds must be 



[Cir. 103] 



