392 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Nov., 1897. 
Manure.—The plant is certainly much improved by manuring; wood ash 
and cowdung seem to suit it best. 
Growth.—The rapidity with which the plants produce stems depends 
mainly on the size of the clumps. Rooted cuttings or tubers throw up shoots 
much faster than stem-cuttings. The stems themselves grow very rapidly, 
and attain a height under certain circumstances of 8 feet, but they are best 
cut when about 4 feet high. When fit to cut, the bark should be brown and 
the stems quite firm. When over 4 feet tall, the fibre appears to be inferior. 
Enemies.—The only enemy seen here is a small moth-caterpillar, which 
rolls the jeaf up and eats it. It does not appear to injure the plant much 
unless it occurs in great quantities, but it spoils the appearance of the plant, 
and may weaken it by retarding the growth of the stem. It seems to be most 
abundant in damp ground. The caterpillar is about 1 inch long, of a dirty- 
green colour with a black head, and is sprinkled over with scanty hairs. It 
turns into a chrysalis in the rolled-up leaf, and in a few days comes out into a 
small grey moth belonging to the group Pyralidx. It is 1 inch wide across the 
wings, which are grey with yellowish and iridescent reflexions, with obscure 
darker grey spots in three transverse wavy bands. The margins of the wings 
are fringed and grey. The antenne are long and slender yellowish brown, the 
eyes black, one portion of the legs long with white coxm, the rest of the legs 
ochreous-yellowish. The body is white below, but coloured like the wings above. 
Extraction and Treatment of the Fibre.—A very large number of machines 
and processes for extracting the fibre of ramie have been invented, and fresh 
ones are constantly under trial. Some recent inventions have been stated to 
be perfectly successful in every way, but, not having seen them actually at work, 
it is impossible to give any opinion as to their value. The Faure machine, so 
far, seems to be the most popular one at the present time.* In one form of 
ramie grown in looses and soil in Penang, it was found that the stems were 
soft and hollow, instead of woody and solid; and that by beating them with a 
wooden mallet on a board, the woody fibre could be broken up so as to be 
easily washed out. Not only was this a very simple process, but more fibre 
was obtained than by stripping the bark and washing it out, as a considerable 
amount of fibre remained on the sticks after stripping, which could not be got 
off. Most ramie sticks are too hard for this treatment, and it remains to be 
seen whether the softer hollow-stemmed form would not be more valuable to 
cultivate than the hard form. It may, however, be merely a form duc to its 
cultivation in poor soil, in which case it would probably, in treatment with 
manure or on planting in richer soil, develop into the stronger woody form.+ 
Uses.—The fibre of ramie may be said to be the best fibre known for 
general purposes. It is as strong as, and in some trials has proved stronger 
than, Russian hemp. It presents an unusual resistance to the effects of 
moisture, and it is finer than flax. A small admixture of it improves paper, 
but itis at present too valuable and expensive for use in this way, though 
waste bits might be disposed of to the paper manufacturers with profit. The 
fibre has long been used for nets and cordage, as well as for sailcloth, the sails of 
several of the well-known racing yachts being made of it. It is also used for 
lighter fabrics, such as silk scarves, dresses, umbrellas, tablecloths, lace, &e. 
From the various uses to which it can be put, it will be readily understood that 
the demand is practically unlimited, but it is necessary that the fibre should be 
produced clean at moderate prices—that is to say, at about £30 per ton. If 
this could be done, ramie might be extensively cultivated and exported from 
this region, The waste leaves of the plant form an excellent fodder for cattle, 
which are very fond of it. The Chinese also, by boiling them, prepare a black 
jelly, for which there is a considerable sale in Singapore and elsewhere. 
* A Jater machine has been just introduced into Australia by Mr. Max Rowl, which claims to 
be efficient; and we hear that the New South Wales Department of Agriculture has purchased 
one, with which trials will shortly be made.—Ed. Q.4.J. ‘ 
+ This was clearly shown in 1877, when ramie grown at Cadarga, Milton, on poor soil, was 
hollow-stemmed until well manured, when it developed the strong woody form.—Ed, Q.4.J, 
