HEMP. 191 



before ripening, it should be pulled at once, whatever its 

 stage of growth, as this is the only means of saving it. 



After Management. After removing the seed by draw- 

 ing the heads through a comb or rake of finely-set teeth, 

 called rippling, the usual method of preparing flax in this 

 country, is by dew-rotting, or spreading it thinly on a clean 

 sward, and turning it occasionally till properly prepared, 

 after which it is put into bundles and stored till a convenient 

 period for cleaning it. This is a wasteful practice and gives 

 an inferior quality of fibre. 



Water-rotting is the best plan of preparing it, which 

 is done in vats or small ponds of soft water, similar to those 

 used for hemp. This gives a strong, smooth, silky fibre, 

 and without waste, and worth much more either for sale or 

 for manufacturing, than the dew-rotted. Various steeps for 

 macerating, and machines for preparing it have been used, 

 which materially increase its marketable value ; but it is 

 generally got out on the brake by hand, when the farmer is 

 most at leisure. A crop of the fibre may be estimated at 

 300 to 1,000 Ibs.; and of seed, from 15 to 30 bushels per 

 acre. 



There are no varieties worthy of particular notice for 

 ordinary cultivation. Great benefit is found to result from 

 a frequent change of seed, to soils and situations differing 

 from those where it has been raised. The seed is always 

 valuable for the linseed-oil it yields, and the residuum of the 

 seed or oil-cake, stands deservedly high as a feed for all ani- 

 mals. The entire seed when boiled, is among the most fat- 

 tening substances which the farmer can use for animal food. 

 Flax, like most other plants grown for seed, is an exhaust- 

 ing crop, but is not when pulled or harvested before the seed 

 matures. The Flemings think flax ought not to be raised 

 on the same soil oftener than once in eight years. 



As a means of promoting the industrial interests of the 

 country, the raising of flax, like that of hemp, cotton, wool 

 and raw-silk, is an object of national importance. This 

 value does not, like wheat, pork, butter, &c., end \vith their 

 preparation for market, but constitutes a basis for other in- 

 dustrial occupations, after leaving the hands of the farmer. 

 Each should be produced to the extent, at least, of supplying 

 our own manufactures with the raw material, for making 

 the fullest amount of fabrics we can consume at home, or 

 profitably export abroad. 



HEMP (Oannabis saliva). 



Large portions of our western soils and climate, are pecxi- 



