HEMP. 195 



hands hi the field to gather, bind the shocks, and finish the 

 ricking in a single day. 



Time of dew rotting. The best time for spreading hemp 

 for dew rotting, is in the month of December. It then re- 

 ceives what is called a winter rot, and makes the lint of the 

 hemp a light color, and its quality better than if spread out 

 early. But where a farmer has a large crop, it is desirable 

 to have a part of his hemp ready to take up late in Decem- 

 ber, so that he may commence breaking in January. To 

 accomplish this object, a part of his crop may be spread 

 about the middle of October. It woyld not be prudent to 

 spread earlier, as hemp will not obtain a good rot if spread 

 when the weather is warm. The experienced hemp- 

 grower is at no loss to tell when the hemp is sufficiently 

 watered. A trial of a portion of it on the break will be the 

 best test for those who have not had much experience. 

 When sufficiently watered, the stalks of the hemp lose that 

 hard, sticky appearance or feel, which they retain till the 

 process is completed. The lint also begins to separate from 

 the stalk, and the fibres will show themselves, like the strings 

 of a fiddle-bow, attached to the stalk at two distant points, 

 and separate in the middle. This is a sure indication that 

 the hemp has a good rot. 



Shocking after breaking and rotting. When the hemp 

 is dry, put in shocks of suitable size, without binding. Tie 

 all the shocks together with a hemp-band, by drawing the 

 tops closely, to prevent the rain from wetting the inside. 

 Each shock should be large enough to produce from fifty to 

 sixty pounds of lint. If the hemp be considerably damp 

 when taken up, leave the shocks untied at the tops until 

 they have time to dry. If not well put up, they are liable to 

 blow down by a strong wind. To guard against this, it is 

 desirable, when commencing a shock, to tie a band around 

 the first armful or two that may be set up and then raise up 

 the parcel so tied, and beat it well against the ground so as 

 to make it stand firmly, in a perpendicular direction. The 

 balance of the shock should now be set regularly around the 

 part as herein directed. If hemp be carefully shocked, it 

 will receive little or no injury till the weather becomes 

 warm. In the meantime it should be broke out as rapidly 

 as possible. If the operation be completed by the middle of 

 April, no material loss will be sustained. If delayed to a 

 later period, loss of lint will be the consequence. Cool, 

 frosty weather is much the best for hemp-breaking. If the 



