10 CIRCULAR 5 8 5, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



the methods of the Orient, only the medium to long stalks are handled 

 well, and as the plants may contain a number of short stalks at 

 harvest, there is some waste in preparing long fiber, although the 

 short stems might serve to make a short towlike fiber. The air-dry 

 stems free of all leaves contain approximately 20 to 25 percent of 

 crude China grass. This crude fiber must be degummed for spinning. 

 and such fiber, free of wood but containing gums, will lose about 

 35 percent of its weight in degumming. 



In experiments in the United States, ramie has yielded from less 

 than 1 ton to a reported 45 tons of green stalks and leaves per acre 

 in 1 year. The high yield represents ramie under very favorable 

 conditions that allowed four cuttings, whereas the low yields were 

 from ramie grown on sandv, infertile soils vielding onlv one cutting. 



Ramie yields may increase under proper cultural conditions during 

 the first 2 or 3 years until the roots have spread between adjacent 

 plants. The field then may continue to be productive with fertilizer 

 applications for 10 years or longer. 



Based upon a number of reported yields the following percentages 

 have been calculated, which are suggestive of the proportion of leaves, 

 stems, and different grades of fiber in 100 pounds of green stalks 

 and leaves containing a high percentage of moisture as harvested: 



Material : Percent 



Stalks and leaves (green) 100.0 



Stripped stalks 52. 



Air-dry stalks 10. 4 



Decorticated fiber 2. 1 



DegTimnied filasse 1. 2 



PRODUCTION 



Available Chinese statistics indicate verv little change in the ramie 

 production or supply during the twentieth century. For nearly 40 

 years, this fiber has probably been handled in about the same manner. 

 This may be understood if it is realized that about 75 to 85 percent 

 is consumed locally in China, Various estimates would indicate a 

 production of 100.000 long tons of China grass annually in China 

 (96.000 tons 6 in 1936). This production would place ramie about 

 eighth in rank among plant fibers utilized by man. It is surpassed 

 by cotton, jute. flax, hemp, sisal, abaca, and henequen. However, it is 

 practically impossible, even with published statistics, to obtain any 

 accurate data regarding the production and exports of ramie in 

 China. This partly results from the confusion of the names of the 

 fiber plants. In some provinces the statistics may be given for ramie 

 alone, but in other provinces the statistics may be for ramie, hemp, 

 and jute. The exports have not materially changed during the past 

 30 vears. and have varied according to some estimates from 16.000 

 to 25,000 tons annually, but averaging about 20.000 tons. 



In recent years Japan has been one of the principal buyers of 

 Chinese China grass. It was estimated that before the Chinese- 

 Japanese conflict. 68 percent : of the Chinese exports of ramie went 

 to Japan (13.100 tons in 1936). Ramie is also exported from China to 



6 E.-V. L. la ramie ex chixe. Revue Interiiatl. des Prod. Colon. No. 157, pp. 1—3. 

 1939. 



7 See footnote 6. 



