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for fopes, twiiics, and paper, — but it was too good for such purposes. 

 When properly treated and bleached the fibre rendered a good test 

 with the microscope, micrometer, &c., in the course of which the 

 simple fibre of the Ramie had been compared with that of heuip, 

 flax, cotton, and silk : — the relative result proved thus, tlie fibre of 

 the Ramie was longer and more uniform than all the others, after 

 that of silk it was stronger, offered greater resistance to traction 

 and to twisting, napped well, was more elastic than hemp and flax, 

 and even than cotton, which was moi'C flexible in twisting. Ramie, 

 in these I'espects, only yielded the palm to silk : — it had all the lust- 

 rous texture of wool or silk, took a sparkling whiteness when 

 properly bleached ; it could be worked into an innumerable vai'iety 

 of goods of any style or colour. It was a good poor man's crop, or 

 a lazy man's crop ; labour was easy, culture iuexjjensive. The 

 American Government encouraged its culture, as well as Jute, 

 which had been cultured and was now grown extensively. England, 

 France, and Italy, also encouraged its growth by premiums and 

 awards. It had been tried in France and Italy with success, and 

 even in Ii-eland. It was a hardy plant, and he saw no reason why 

 the flax of Ireland should not find a competitor in the Ramie as well 

 as King Cotton of the South ; it required only a small capital to 

 start a plantation. The subject was worthy of more special atten- 

 [^tion than it had hitherto received in a practical way ; for, beyond 

 ioubt, there was yet a prosperous future for the textile fibrous plants 

 -more particularly for the Rhea or Ramie, which was fast be- 

 coming known, and a staple article of commerce, and could be 

 employed for our use and comfort in many ways. For the reason 

 that we were so far away from commercial and manufacturing 

 iisti'icts, and knew so little of what was going on — excepting from 

 f'what we gathered in the papers, which were rather reticent on 

 , Buch matters as he had brought before them — he had given fuller 

 ; details than he otherwise should have done, thinking it of interest 

 , to them and the public too. He hoped he had not wearied them, 

 t Finally, when we read of the millions and millions of acres of the 

 [ wcrld which were emploj'ed in the growth of cotton and flax alone, of 

 ithe men, women, children, and spindles employed in spinning 

 itextile fibres, it opened the eye of our minds a little. We read, " it 

 [18 a wise man that makes two blades of grass grow where only one 

 [grew before; but what think you of Him the all-wise great 

 I Creator and Benefactor, who clothes the field with grass for the 



