288 



good strong fence. The roots throw up at least twelve shoots 

 when in full bearing ; should they increase, and the crops get 

 too thick, the roots require to be separated ; and by this means 

 the cultivation can be carried to any extent." 



To put ii roots at I J feet apart requires nearly 20,000 roots per 

 acre. At 2 feet apart there are 10,890 plants to the acre. 



Notes on Planting Ramie* — The plants as sent from the Gardens 

 are ready for planting without further preparation. 



If the land is such that ploughs and cultivators can be used, 

 thoroughly plough up the whole of the land, then form beds five 

 feet wide, with walks between the beds eighteen inches wide, the 

 beds can be any reasonable length but intervals should be left for 

 the passage of carts, &c. ; raise the beds by taking soil from the 

 space left for walks and throwing it on the beds. This will in- 

 crease the depth of soil for the plants to grow in, and by lower- 

 ing the walks make them serve as drains, the depth of which would 

 be regulated by the rainfall of the district. If manual labour has 

 to be utilised, simply fork up the space to be used as the bed, leave 

 the walks hard, but the top soil can be shovelled off and put on 

 the beds in the same way, to form the walks and drains ; it must 

 be borne in mind that this is the best of the soil and will enrich 

 the beds. 



The soil must be thoroughly pulverised, the plants can then be 

 planted by opening a hole with the hand just deep enough to cover 

 the plant about half-an-inch, not deeper ; cover the plants lightly 

 with the hand but do not press the soil or only very slightly, if the 

 weather is dry ; do not plant nearer the edge of the beds than six 

 inches, put the plants in nine inches apart, or if on very rich soil 

 a toot apart. 



Keep the young plants quite free from weeds by hand weeding. 

 The plants put out at Hope treated as above, were weeded three 

 times the first year, and then the Ramie kept down the weeds itself 

 except on the paths. 



Our reasons for planting in beds, clearing paths and intervals 

 is to obviate the necessity of walking between the plants, and so 

 trampling the soil round the roots, and making it hard and cakey, 

 which from experience has been found to be very detrimental to 

 the growth of the plant. In the beds planted at Hope the soil was 

 almost as loose and friable a year later as it was on the day the 

 beds were planted ; and if the crop were taken off then the only 

 thing requiring to be done is to hoe the paths, and perhaps pull 

 out a few climbing weeds which no plants can keep down without 

 assistance. 



By planting as close as above described the plants shoot up 

 very rapidly with little or no tendency to branch. 



The above may seem rather troublesome, but if the plants are 

 treated in this way the growth will be more than satisfactory and 



* \V. I'railwick iu Uullct'oi, June, 18SI6. 



