REPRINTED FROM 
11 'E >: I895. 
THE COMING TEXTILE., 
R AMIE has been long known to our manufac¬ 
turers, but the difficulties which presented 
themselves caused the ardour of its promoters to 
evaporate. More plodding and persistent workers, 
knowing its vast capabilities, have gone steadily 
* plodding along, surmounting one obstacle after 
another till the fait accompli has been reached, 
and nothing now but capital stands in the way of 
its being rapidly taken into use. 
Ramie, Rhea, or China grass, is a nettle, and 
produces a fibre unequalled for its strength and 
brilliance. It is several times stronger than hemp 
and three times that of flax. Herein alone lies a 
future for it. For ropes, twines, sail-cloth, rigging, 
fishing lines, and nets^ it is almost indestructible, 
and does not rot. For machine belting, belting 
for soldiers’ use, and a hundred other uses where 
strength is a factor it is equally useful. The 
extraordinary characteristics of this fibre is that it 
does not possess one quality, but is so elastic 
in its possibilities that it will work out 
wool, while goods made from a mixture of wool 
and flannel will prove so durable that the wool 
gains by the alliance. The same applies to 
cotton flax and even silk, its possibilities are so 
great that samples have been prepared which 
have been said to baffle silk experts. Its alliance 
with other textiles adds to their merit, but it is 
quite capable of working alone. It will make 
cloths—equal to the finest cotton or flax—damasks, 
diaper, and even plush and velvet. In short, there 
is nothing now made by flax, cotton, 1, or silk 
that this fibre Ramie will not imitate, and that 
brilliantly, and when the question of durability is 
taken into account, will surpass them all. tVe 
have to thank Messrs. Burrow's & Radclyffe, of 
. Lower Kennington-lane, S.E., for the advances 
that have been made in bringing this fibre to the 
front. They, after careful and diligent research 
and experiments, have succeeded in perfecting, a 
set of machinery which is protected by seven 
patents. 
The process, which may be described as sim¬ 
plicity itself, is as follows :—The Rhea or China- 
grass ribbons are subjected to a chemic 1 bath 
which is very naturalty a secret of the inventors. 
The fibre is then treated to a boiling in open 
tanks, the fibres being kept in motion by a very 
simple and ingenious mechanical arrangement 
attached to the boiler. On leaving this boiler 
they are placed in a solution for bleaching, or 
where whiteness is no object, it is taken immedi¬ 
ately to a drawer-separator ; this machine does its 
work rapidly and effectively, drawing it into a lap 
of disentangled and parallelised fibres. Another 
process—and this depends greatly on the quality 
and softness of the fibre on leaving the boilers—is 
to dry the material and draw it in a dry stage ; both 
processes give good results, but as a question of 
economy the w'et process is preferable. The lap is 
now dried, and is ready for use for all rough purposes 
such as rope, sail-cloth, belting, &c. For finer 
uses it is subjected to a softener, a machine which 
simply reduces it to a soft and silky texture. It 
is then ready for the gill box, and when drawn 
into a sliver is ready for the manufacturer, as it is 
then in a condition to be treated by existing 
methods as either flax, silk, or wool. The 
patentees, however, are prepared to carry it further, 
as their patents cover a very ingenious comber, 
specially for this fibre, and a spinning frame. 
There is now no necessity for our manufacturers 
to put down special plant, as Messrs. Burrows & 
Radclyffe claim they are in a position to pro¬ 
duce sliver which can be used by any spinners. 
We are informed the plant is easily grown in 
England ; if so, as its stems produce fibre and 
its leaves are useful for fodder or paper 
making, a good time may yet be open to our 
agriculturists. We think it will be a reflection 
on our go-ahead principles not to give this subject 
a searching investigation. The United States 
Government are alive to its possibilities, and are 
voting some #250,000 for experiments and to encour¬ 
age the growth of Ramie, and are bent on adding 
it to their agricultural economy. Our own Indian 
Government are urging .its cultivation. Surely 
this is incentive enough for an Englishman, and 
he should not be behindhand. If it’s a question of 
Capital, surely with the wealth vve have seeking 
employment this could or'should be surmounted 
at once. We certainly think the days of Ramie 
are dawning. 
rP 
>V% 
