Sept. 1, 1903.] 
THE TKOPICAL 
AGRlCUTiTURIST, 
159 
THE COTTON CRISIS-A SUBSTITUTE. 
25, Birchington Road, 
West Hampstead, N.W. 
Sir, — Herewith I send you a copy of letter 
sent to the Agricultural Department of your 
Colony. It will interest your readers, and, I 
hope, induce them to agitate for State sup- 
port, or failing this, your leading capitalists 
would find it a highly profitable industry. 
Could you not follow it up by a leader ? 
There is no end to the possibilities of Ramie, 
and now that the Americans are corueriug 
the cotton trade, it is a splendid oppor- 
tunity to prevent these tactics in future. 
You will confer a blessing on your Colony 
if you induce the start of this industry. 
You may rely on my co-operation. — Yours 
faithfully, 
D. BDWARD3-RADCLYPFE. 
[The following is the letter referred to. As 
we have said before, we should like to see home 
authorities and capitalists who believe in 
Rhea form a syndicate for its cultivation. 
Land could be got on very easy terms.— Ed. 
T.A.] 
"I WDuId call your atteatioa to the possibilities 
of Ramie (Rhea), which uadoubtedly la the Textile 
of the future. I£ you can grow this fibre, which is 
easily cultivated, there is a vast trade with Europe 
possible. It vfould be specially welcome in England 
as a rival to cotton, and would do much to prevent 
■the corner in Cotton so easily worked by American 
capitalists, as experience teaches us to our cost. A 
Lancashire Cotton Famine would not be possible if 
supplies of Ramie were forthcoming. It would also 
help to make a self-contained Empire — we should pro- 
duce all we want independently of other countries. 
The fibre is as easily worked as it is grown, and I see 
no reason why the industry phould not Jbe fostered in 
yoar Colony, from cultivation to spinning, or even 
weaving, from the field to the loom. 
" I would suggest the Govarnment provides seed or 
.plants. It is easily grown from seed. la every dis- 
trict where the plant is freely grown, set up decorti- 
cation and degummiog stations, such as mills grind 
. the corn here or the central stations crush the sugar- 
cane in Qtt9enslaud, If the Government does not put 
np thesis stations, then ;they should encourage the 
oapitaliats to form syndicates by giving a bonus on the 
amount produced. 
" The degummiiig stations would be highly profit- 
able. Ist. The fibre would be extracted in the form 
of filasse, easily picked, and a great saving in freit;ht 
effected as compared with ribbons. 2nd. A profit 
would be made on tbe enhanced price the filasse 
would command as compared with ribbons over-bur- 
dened with freight. 3rd. The waste products would ba 
a source of income, and wonld show a profit on the 
cost of working the fibte to filasse. The by-products 
are : — (a) The gum, which is very valuable, (ii) the 
fibre in the leaves and lateral shoots could be worked 
into paper palp — this would command a high price, 
as it mokes the finest paper. 
" All these products — the filasse, the gum and the 
pjjlp — would command good prices iu England, and if 
your manufacturers will treai the fibre in the Colony 
there is no reason why the yarns should not bo sent 
over here after retaining sufiioieut for your home 
supplies. 
If the Government will fad in with my sugges- 
tions, I shali be pleased to offjr my services on the 
principle ' no cure, no pay ' — i.e., I am content to take 
,my remuneration iu share of profit. 
" If the Government is of opinion the trade would b« 
best conducted by private enterprise, I think the 
initial stages should be fostered by the Government 
making the preliminarv experiments as to growing, 
&o., otfering planters the seed or plants, either free 
or at very low rates, and by offering assistance in 
the shape of loan.s for planters to get large tracts 
jnder cultivation, and to the District Conncils to 
enable them to put np decorticating and degumming 
stations, and by recommending capitalists to take np 
the planting, filassing, spinning, weaving. &c. I 
think the Governrnent wonld do wisely to advertise 
the possibilities of the fibre and the reason the 
Textile of ttie future will have such a prominent place 
in our industries. 
Ist. — It is many times stronger than cotton, flii, 
hemp and the like. 
2nd. — I': has a very long staple from 3 to 9 in. 
yrd. — It is easily grown, as it acclimatises itself 
in almost any zone where agriculture is possible— of 
course with varying results, as it crops in some lati- 
tudes as many as four times per annum. 
4th.— It is beautifully lustrous, more after the 
nature of silk in appearance. 
5th. — It does not rot, giving it, for many purposes 
such as fishing lines, netf, sail cloth, ropes, boot and 
saddlery thread, taipanlins, rick cloths, tents, hose, 
shop blind.^, boot linings and other reqairements 
necessitating exposure to d.imp, great advantages. 
6th. — It is non-elastic. Here it is invaluable for 
machinery baiting and ropes, measuring tapes, mixed 
with wool it imparts non-shrinking possibilities to 
that article, and many other purposes where rigidity 
is an advantage. 
7th. I could farther expatiate on its merits, but 
space forbids, I will curtail my remarks by stating 
there is nothing, wool, cotton, flax, hemp, jute, and 
even silk produces, this fibre cannot imitate and in 
most cases excel. It makes splendid cloth for uni- 
forms, and almost indestructible table linen, sheeting 
dress goods, velvets, curtains, lace, tapestry and up- 
holstery purposes, Itmp wicks, w^iistcoatings, trousers 
duck, riding breeches, &c. It is pro.nounced by the 
medical profession as the most advantageous surgical 
dressing and for body wear, I will wind up by point- 
ing out its durability and toughness alone commend it 
as a miterial that is invaluable for its indestructible 
qualities. 
" There are many purposes for which its pecaliar 
properties make it extremely valuable, for instance, 
incandescent giis mantles. It excels all other fibres, 
and in this alone an ever increasing demand will con- 
sume enormous quantities. I could instance many 
other purposes, but I think the foregoing quite sufS- 
cient to extol the merits of 
BAiriE, THE TEXTILE OP THE FUTUHE. 
" Small farmers wishing to start Ramie growing can 
do 80 without any great outlay, and they can prepare 
the fibre for export without costiy machinery, I do 
not recommend degumming stations except on large 
scale. Small parcels of fibte can be shipped and the 
degumming can be done here. 
" Scamps of the Colony should accompany all requests 
for particulars as a proof it is not au idle enquiry. 
" IE further information is required how to procure 
seed, plant?, and cultivate and prepare the fibre for 
the market, and how to dispose of the moduce, also 
advice as to the installation of degumming and filassin" 
stations, manufactories, &o. — in short, any assistance 
1 can give to encourage the world-wide cultivation of 
this fine fibre, you have but to apply to 
D. EDWARDS-RADCLYFFE, 
25, Bircbington Road, 
West Hampatead, London." 
