ii6 PREPARATION OF HEMP 



fibre from the male plants is said to be superior to 

 that from female plants which have been allowed to 

 produce seed. When both sexes are harvested 

 together, the plants are either pulled by hand or cut 

 with a kind of sickle. The method of pulling yields 

 the more valuable product as when the plants are 

 cut some of the best fibre is left in the stubble. 



PREPARATION OF HEMP 



Hemp consists of the bast tissue surrounding the 

 central woody column of the stalks. In order to free 

 the fibre from the gummy or pectous substances with 

 which it is encrusted and thus facilitate its removal, 

 the stalks are subjected to the process of retting. 



Before the stalks are retted they are sometimes 

 dried. In Italy it is usual to lay them down in a 

 fairly shady place, and allow them to remain exposed 

 to the air for from four to six days, turning them over 

 occasionally. In some districts the stalks are hung 

 up on a sort of frame. The roots and ends of the 

 stems are then cut off, and the branches and leaves 

 are removed by beating with sticks. The stalks are 

 subsequently sorted according to length, and made 

 up into bundles, each containing ten or twelve. The 

 bundles are placed root-end downwards in cone- 

 shaped shocks to undergo further drying. 



In France and some other countries the stalks are 

 not dried before retting ; but after the roots and tops 

 have been cut off they are made into bundles, and 

 retted immediately. 



Betting. This process consists essentially of sub- 

 mitting the stalks to the action of water so that a 

 kind of fermentation is set up. For an explanation 

 of this process, and an account of the changes involved, 

 reference should be made to the section on flax 

 (page 102). 



Hemp is usually retted by one of three different 

 methods, known as " water-retting," " dew-retting," 

 and " snow-retting." The extent to which the 

 retting is allowed to proceed has a great influence on 

 the strength and pliability of the fibre ; hemp in- 



