RAMIE, RHEA, CHINA GRASS, OR 

 NETTLE FIBRE/ 



I have been deeply interested in the above 

 fibre for many years. It has had a fascination 

 for me. Long acquaintance with its many re- 

 markable qualities, coupled with regret that it 

 has for so long been the victim of unfortunate 

 circumstances and influences, has not dimin- 

 ished either my interest in it or my faith in its 

 ultimate triumph. In March, 1897, by request, 

 I read a paper on " Ramie " at the Imperial 

 Institute, London, under the auspices of the 

 Society of Arts. Some extracts from the paper 

 will be found in the appendix marked " A." 

 They relate mainly to matters which, are not 

 included in these notes or are onlv incidentally 

 referred to. They may be of value to some 

 readers interested in the cultivation of ramie, 

 and therefore I have thought it desirable to re- 

 produce them. 



By the kindness of the two leading spinnerV 

 and manufacturers of ramie, I was enabled to 

 place before the audience a large and very 

 varied assortment of samples of the fibre in 

 various stages of manufacture in its degi/mmed 

 state, as filasse ; in slivers, before and after 

 combing ; in the form of top (long fibre) and in 

 the form of noils (short fibre) ; also in ' slub- 

 bings, rovings, and yarns of many qualities, 

 from coarse to extremely fine counts. Finally, 

 there were samples of a great variety of goods 

 woven, netted, knitted, made into lace, thread, 

 etc., etc. The samples created very general 

 interest, and being the most complete and 

 representative collection ever placed before the 

 public, an opportunity was given of realising 

 practically the value and beauty of the fibre and 

 its adaptability for being manufactured into a 

 very wide and diversified assortment of goods. 

 The time at my disposal compelling me to keep 

 the paper within narrow limits, I dwelt princi- 

 pally on the cultivation of the plant and the 

 decortication of the stems, as the cheapest and 

 best mode of producing the raw fibre seemed 

 to me at the time to be the most important 

 part of the subject. I dealt but shortly with 

 the manufacturing processes and the general 

 position of ramie in the manufacturing world. 



Since the date of my paper considerable pro- 

 gress has been made in the treatment of the 

 fibre and in the manufacture of ramie yarns and 

 goods. Therefore I venture to think that the 

 time is opportune for placing before those who 

 are interested in the fibre some additional in- 

 formation respecting its present position and 

 prospects in the textile world and the progress 

 that has been made in its manufacture. In 

 preparing these notes I have felt it my duty to 

 take cognisance of the following questions fre- 

 quently asked, especially in England, the Uni- 

 ted States, Germany, and France : Why has 

 ramie hitherto failed to come to the front and 

 become one of the leading fibres in the textile 

 manufacturing world? Why is it still viewed 

 with disfavour in certain circles, more especi- 

 ally in financial circles ? Why do people shrug 

 their shoulders when ramie is mentioned and 

 attribute to it defects of which it is entirely in- 

 nocent 2 Here is a grand fibre under a cloud ; 

 there must be some causes for it. Can these 

 causes be explained and removed ; if so, by what 

 means ? The answer is decidedly in the affirma- 

 tive, and these notes are intended to show that 

 ramie, with all its valuable qualities, can be 

 manufactured into a great variety of goods with 

 very substantial profit, providing that manufac- 

 turers have a full technical knowledge of the 

 fibre, combined with the possession of 

 machinery specially adapted to its treatment. 



Before proceeding to give proof of so import- 

 ant a matter, it will be advantageous to first 

 mention some of the reasons for the present pre- 

 judices against so valuable a fibre. To detail 

 and explain them is, in my opinion, the best 

 means of refuting them, because they are due 

 to causes and influences mostly outside the fibre 

 and for which the fibre cannot be held respon- 

 sible. It is only by looking the facts and in- 

 fluences fairly in the face and dispassionately 

 examining the causesof past failures that one can 

 arrive at an impartial estimate of what ought 

 to be the position and the value of ramie in the 

 textile manufacturing world. By carefully 

 pointing out and accurately defining these 



ved. 



