HEMP FEOH B^AN STALKS. 979 



are among the strongest yet discovered. These, with a little Method of s»- 

 beating, rubbing, and shaking, are easily separated from the pa^ating tU«r« 

 strawy part, when the plant has been steeped 10 or 12 days 

 in water; or is damp, and in a itrtte approaching to fermen- 

 tation, or what is commonly called' rotting. Washing and 

 pulling it through hackles, or iron combs, first coarse, and 

 then finer, is necessary to the dressing of bean-hemp ; and ' 

 so far as I have yet discovered, the easiest way of separating 

 the filaments from the thin membrane that sunounds them. 



From carefully observing the medium numi>er of bean- An aero yieldr 

 plants in a square yard, in a variety of fields on both sides ^^""* ^ ^^** 

 the Tweed, as well as in Ireland, and multiplying them by 

 4840, the number of square yards in an acre, and tbenf 

 weighing the hemp, or filaments of a certain number of 

 these stalks, I find, that there are at a medium about 2cwt. 

 of hemp, or these filaments, in every acre, admirably cal- 

 culated for being converted into a thousand articles, where 

 strength and durability is of importance, as well as, with a 

 little preparation, into paper of all kinds; even that of the 

 most delicate texture. , ' *' ' 



Now since there are, at least 200000 acres of ticks, About 2000O 



horse, and other beans planted in Great Britain and Ireland ; ^""^ might be 



, . , , . ' . f. , , procured an- 



and iince, where there is not machmery tor the purpose, the nualJv :n ihe 



poor, both young and old, females as well as males, be- ^"'^^ K*"g' 

 longing to each of the 9700 parishes in England, &c. where ' 

 beans are raised ; might (hemp having risen of late from i)0 

 to 120 pounds per tun), be advantageously employed in 

 peeling, or otherwise separating these filaments from the 

 strawy part of the plant, after the beans have been thresheid 

 out; I leave it to the feelings of the Society for the En- 

 couragement of Arts &c. to judge of the importance of the 

 idea held out here, not only to the poor, but to the land- 

 holders, and the community at large. 



It is nearly twelve months since, by analyzing its com- The hemp 

 po«ent part?, I discovered hemp in the bean plant. I would ^' "•^^'^ ^ - ^ 

 have written to you then. Sir, on the subject, and sent a ^ 



specimen, but that I was trying experiments with other 

 plants, as I am during my leisure hours doing at present ; 

 and I wished to ascertain in what degree this species of 

 bemp ia liable to injury from difierent situations, and the 



changes 



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