Dorsetshire, and on the Growth of Sea-Cale. 441 



Perhaps tares, called by some vetches, might be cleared 

 from the ground early enough for manuruig and sowing the 

 ensuing crop of hemp, and vetches might make it worth the 

 farmer^s attention : to this an objection was stated, which 

 I do not just now remember. On talking with the gentle- 

 man before mentioned, and stating the American practice, 

 with what had passed on it with my neighbours, he said, 

 he had long been persuaded that it was a good practice, and 

 that he had the last season a very good crop of hemp on a 

 piece of ground that had hemp the year before, and that he 

 did not let the hemp stand for seed, but had it all down at 

 the usual time for drawing the summer or male hemp, and 

 the ground immediately sown with turnips, which were fed- 

 oflf with sheep, and the ground then slightly manured, and 

 hemp sown again at the proper season ; and that he had 

 then, October 27, 1808, a piece of turnips after his hemp, 

 which were worth 6/. per acre. It is to be observed, 

 that the acre here meant is the British acre of one hundred 

 square poles, three hundred and four square yards each. 

 The manure mostly used for hemp is good rotten stable 

 dung, which is much preferred to any other, though lime 

 is frequently used ; but manufacturers pretend to assert, 

 (with what foundation I cannot say,) that they can di- 

 stinguish a material diflference in the quality of the hemp, 

 where lime has been used instead of dung, as from lime, 

 they say hemp is more harsh and brittle, and not of such 

 a soft silky quality as where dung has been used. The 

 writer has endeavoured to throw together every thing that 

 occurs to him on the subject of the culture of hemp, which, 

 from being born and residing great part of his life in a part 

 of the county where it has been extensively cultivated for 

 ages, he has been able to collect; but wheie it is not very 

 easy to obtain direct information, as both the growers and 

 manufacturers are verv shy of giving any, under an idea 

 that it might injure their own interest by assisting to ex- 

 tend the culture to other countries. He believes that his 

 statement maybe depended upon; but he is no farmer, and 

 therefore the loose hmts thrown together here on the sub- 

 ject may not be so clearly and satisfactorily explained as he 

 could wish; but if they in the smallest degree assist in en- 

 couraging the growth of an article so essential to the wel- 

 ware and prosperity of the kingdom, it will afford him the 

 most heartfelt pleasure. 



II. B, WAV. 



\q\. 39. No. 170. June 1812. Ff Account 



