VRESTOB— BAMIH FIBRE. 
1 
Varies from that of a goosequill to that of the finger. Those 
of the larger size! could scarcely be produced in greater 
number with uniformity of growth, than 40 or 50 to the 
square yard. The foliage of the Ramie is ample, and on 
its healthy state depends of course the size of the stem, 
the bark of which yields the Ramie fibre. 
The diameter of circumscription of the leaf-mass on such 
stems is not less than one foot. Thus, it will be obvious 
that little more than four to the square foot can at the same 
time develop strongly. 
Under the influence of a tropical climate this plant is 
constantly though irregularly developing its rhizomes into 
stems, and therefore, in systematic cultivation, monthly or 
even fortnightly cuttings would be necessary to secure the 
stems in their proper degree of ripeness as they happen to 
reach it. The heaviest cuttings, however, would probably 
occur in September and February, in the northern tropics. 
Abundant moisture and rich soil are clearly indispensa- 
bles in successful culture of the Ramie plant, and with these 
many expenses must be incurred for weeding at all times, 
but specially at that period which intervenes between the 
planting and the nearly full development of the stems, 
by which of course the ground is wholly covered. At no 
time, however, can it be expected that the plants can hold 
their own against the numerous weedy plants of infinitely 
more rapid growth in tropical countries. Again, the fre- 
quent thinning, by the peculiar method of gathering the 
stems necessitated by the tropical conditions, would greatly 
encourage the development of weeds, and thus weeding 
must be effected to a great extent by hand for the preser- 
vation of the tender nascent stems. 
