25, Birchington Road, 
West Hampstead, N.W, 
THE COTTON CRISIS—A SUBSTITUTE. iJPn 
Dear Sir, 
Herewith I send yon a copy of a letter sent to the Agriculture® 
Department of our Colon . It will interest your readers, and, I • 
hope, induce them to agitate for State support, or, failing this, 
our 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 cornering 
the Cotton trade, it is a splendid opportunity to prevent these 
tactics in future. You will confer a blessing on our Colon if 
you induce the start of this industry. You may rely on my co¬ 
operation. , „ ,, 
Yours faithfully, 
D. EDWARDS-RADGLYFFE. 
c i 
To 
t( I would call your attention to the possibilities of Ramie 
(Rhea), which undoubtedly is the Textile of the future. if you 
can grow this fibre, which is easily cultivated, uhere is a /asi, 
trade with Europe possible. It would 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 pr o 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 should 
not be fostered in your Colony,, from cultivation to spinning, or 
even weaving (from the field to the loom). 
< ‘ i would suggest the government provides seed or plants. It 
is easily grown from seed. In every district where the plant is 
freely grown, set up decortication and degumming stations, such as 
mills grind the corn here or the central stations crush the sugar¬ 
cane in Queensland. If the government does not put up these 
stations, then they should encourage the capitalists to form 
syndicates by giving a bonus on the amount produced. 
‘ ‘ The degumming stations would be highly profitable. 1st. The 
fibre would be extracted in the form of filasse, easily packed, 
and a great saving in freight effected as compared with ribbons. 
2nd. A profit would be made on the enhanced price the filasse would 
command as compared with ribbons over-burdened with freight. 
3rd. The waste products would be a source of income, and would 
show a profit on the cost of working the fibre to filasse. The 
by-products are : —(a) The gum, which is very valuable, (b) the fiore 
in the leaves and lateral shoots could be worked into paper pulp— 
this would command a high price, as it makes the finest paper. 
