On Italian Hemp arid Flax. 207 



less space, by being so distributed. The bundles made of 

 this species of hemp, must be put to macerate separately, 

 from those of a finer quality. The s&me precaution must 

 be used with the hemp, that has been gathered, when fully 

 ripe, and that is less perfect. When the pond is full, 

 let a u eight be laid upon the bundles, in order to keep 

 them alv\ays under water. In the ponds of the Bo- 

 lognese, they drive in the bottom, some stakes, at the 

 distance of three or four feet from each other, having at 

 their tops a notch, in which they fit horizontally other 

 poles, to compel the bundles to lie under water. It is 

 necessary to keep the ponds always full of water, so that 

 the hemp be not left exposed to the sun. The true degree 

 of maceration, is when the thready fibre separates easily 

 from the wood, and this can be ascertained by taking a 

 few stalks out of the bundles, and breaking them in se- 

 veral places to see whether the fibres detach with ease. 

 When the hemp has acquired this decree of maceration, 

 they take it out of the pond, and wash it well in clear 

 water ; they next put it to dry in the sun, untying the bun- 

 dles, spreading and turning them, to have them equally 

 dried. When the hemp is perfectly dry, they beat it 

 with cudgels, upon a large plank or stump, in order to 

 break the woody part. After having plucked out the 

 coarsest lints, they make it under^jjo the operation of 

 the Gramola (or mashing engine.) This is an implement 

 composed of three parallel rulers, the corners of which are 

 sharp and round, and in the interstice of which, enter two 

 other rulers, exactly like, and joined by means of a ring 

 at one of the extremities, with the others. This imple- 

 ment breaks and separates the small woody pieces that 

 had remained after the first operation of beating it with 

 cudgels. They then toss the hemp, and shake off what- 

 ever there is left of wood, with the Spnttle or Slice. The 

 Gramola alone may be sufficient to break thin hemp : the 



