THE CULTIVATION OF HEMP TX THE UNITED STATES, 7 



The twenty-iive mills in the United States using hemp fiber are 

 mostly in or near Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, and 

 San Francisco. 



The average price paid during the last twenty years by local 

 dealers to the farmers in Kentucky for the rough fiber tied up in 

 handmade bales has been about 5 cents a pound. The prices during 

 the same time for the fiber sorted, pressed in bales, and delivered 

 at the mills as ordered have ranged from $130 to $175 per long ton. 



Till' market is occasionally overstocked with low-grade hemp or 

 tow, but there is little danger of an oversupply of good, strong, well- 

 cleaned fiber. 



PROFITS. 



The following rough outline of expenses and returns may serve as a 

 basis for estimating profits, keeping in mind that there may be con- 

 siderable variation either way, due to local conditions: 



Cost per acre. Returns per acre. 



Seed, 1 bushel, at S4 ?4. 00 J .000 pouiuls of hemp liber, at 5 



Plowing 2. 50 cents $50. 00 



Harrowing once 50 



Sowing -"'^ 



Harrowing (omitted if special 



drill is used) 50 



Rollinir 50 



Cutting I- 00 



Shocking 1-25 



Spreading for retting 1. 50 



Picking up b 50 



Breaking, 1,000 pounds, at U cents 



per pound 15.00 



Baling and marketing 1. 00 



Total cost per a< -re 30. 00 Gross ret urns 50. 00 



Hemp can not be grown profitably in small isolated areas. Two 

 hundred acres or more should l)e grown on one or more farms near 

 together, so as to warrant the introduction of special machinery for 

 drilling, harvesting, breaking, and baling, and also make it possible 

 to ship the fiber in full car lots. 



Before undertaking the cultivation of hemp on a commercial 

 scale it is advisable to try some preliminary experiments with half an 

 acre or less, to determine whether the local conditions are adapted 

 to the crop. 



Approved : 



J.VMES Wilson, 



Secretary of Agriculture. 



Washington, D. C, March 28, 1910. 



[Cir. .57] 



o 



