RAMIE 125 



CULTIVATION 



The ramie plant is easy to cultivate, and thrives in 

 almost any soil, but is especially adapted to a 

 naturally rich, moist soil of a light loamy character. 

 In China it is usually grown on a red clay containing 

 sand. In the United States it has been cultivated 

 experimentally on a great variety of soils, and it has 

 been found that the plant grows best on light, sandy, 

 alluvial soils, although it will flourish on any good 

 soil which is capable of retaining its moisture through- 

 out the growing season. In order that the growth 

 of the stems may be rapid and continuous, a hot, 

 moist, and equable climate is required. 



The ramie plant withdraws from the soil a large 

 quantity of valuable constituents. As only a small 

 proportion of these materials is contained in the fibre 

 it must be advantageous, on general principles, to 

 return as much as possible of the refuse of the crop 

 to the land. Experience has shown that without 

 liberal manuring the yield of fibre diminishes, and 

 that the application of organic manures, such as 

 liquid manure, farmyard manure, guano, or oil-cake, 

 is very beneficial. These fertilisers can sometimes 

 be supplemented with artificial manures. 



The propagation of the ramie plant is effected 

 by means of seed, cuttings, or layers, or by division 

 of the roots. When the plant is grown from seed, it 

 is usual to sow it in the hot-bed and to transplant the 

 seedlings after five or six weeks' growth. The method 

 of growing the plants from cuttings is practised in 

 some parts of India. The stems are cut in the 

 spring, only the portions which have turned brown 

 being employed for the purpose. The cuttings 

 usually include three buds, a margin of a quarter of an 

 inch being allowed at each end beyond the top and 

 bottom buds respectively. When the plant is pro- 

 pagated from root cuttings, the young lateral shoots 

 with their roots are cut off and planted about a foot 

 apart in furrows four inches deep. 



The amount of moisture supplied to the plants 

 during their growth must be carefully regulated. If 



