2Q6 



that the limits of prices for ramie will, of course, always depend 

 on the state of the market with regard to fibres generally, and 

 that, at present, the values of all the fibres are much lower than 

 they were some years ago. With a recovery in the value of other 

 fibres, the limits of prices here indicated for ramie would have 

 to be proportionately increased." 



"With regard to what is known in commerce as 'China grass,' 

 this is hand-cleaned fibre shipped usually from Chinese ports. It 

 arrives in this country in small parcels, the yearly importation 

 being only about 100 tons. It is nearly all taken up by continen- 

 tal buyers. Rhea is the term applied to machine-cleaned fibre, 

 generally in the form of ribbons or half cleaned stuff. The price 

 is much less than China grass, and in case of large shipments 

 would probably not exceed about £7 or £8 per ton. It is important 

 therefore for Ramie planters to aim at the production of ribbons 

 at cost not exceeding about £4 or £5 at the port of shipment. 

 Important elements in such production would be to plant Ramie 

 only in places where the soil and climate will allow of three or 

 four crops to be reaped per annum ; where labour is very cheap 

 and abundant, and where good facilities exist for transport and 

 shipment." (Kew Bulletin, November, 1889.) 



In Ide & Christie's Monthly Circular, dated 15th November, 1906, 

 China Grass is quoted at 32s. to 35s. per cwt. ; and Rhea " none 

 here." 



Extracts from Lecture* at Society of Arts. 



"RAMIE AND ITS POSSIBILITIES." 

 By Mrs. Ernest Hart. 



Fifteen, twenty years ago, numerous companies were formed 

 with large capitals, pledged to make ramie one of the great staple 

 textiles of the world, — -the mills of all of which are now silent, 

 and in most cases dismantled and turned to other uses. 



The causes of this remarkable and almost universal failure in 

 Great Britain, are stated to have been want of raw material, im- 

 perfect methods of degumming which rotted the fibre, the diffi- 

 culties of manipulating the fibre in machines not specially con- 

 structed to deal with it, and the intractable behaviour of ramie 

 yarns in the loom. It should also be added that in many cases 

 the companies were promoted in a purely speculative spirit, and 

 the management was in the hands of those who did not aim by 

 patient investigation at overcoming the difficulties of ramie mani- 

 pulation in the factory, but were unfortunately too much interested 

 in the more exciting game of manipulating shares on the Stock 

 Exchange. 



Promises of immense profits were made in the prospectuses, 

 charmin'g samples of fabrics were produced, quotations of shares 

 rose by leaps and bounds to high figures, but when orders were 

 placed the samples could not be reproduced in pieces, shares fell 



* Jouraal of the Society of Arte, No. 2,78.5. Vol, LIV. 



