322 THE BOOK OF USEFUL PLANTS 



erly separated, come out creamy-white, soft, pli- 

 able, and with a silky sheen. It is substituted 

 for linen in all but the better grades in the north 

 of Italy, where methods of cultivation and curing 

 produce the best quality of fibre. 



The great hemp region of this country is the 

 Blue Grass in Kentucky, where a rich, moist, 

 well-drained loam overlies limestone. The seed 

 is sowed and rolled, but not cultivated after it 

 comes up. The vigorous plants get the start of 

 the weeds and kill them out. The roots plow 

 deep, and the stems soar. 



When the flowers appear and the tops turn yel- 

 low, then comes the harvest. The stems are cut 

 as low as possible, for the best fibre is at the base. 

 The September sun dries the stalks that lie with 

 butts down hill on the grass. In a week they are 

 gathered into small bundles, tied, shocked, or 

 stacked. 



In November the stems are spread for two 

 months so that moisture and frost rot the outer 

 bark and woody centre of the stems from the 

 fibrous layer. This "retting" is sometimes done 

 in water. When the fibre separates easily, 

 the stalks are set up to dry. The old-fashioned 

 hand-breaks are used to "decorticate" the fibre, 

 and clean it of the fragments of bark and wood 



