n8 PREPARATION OF HEMP 



retting pits or tanks, lined with oak-planks or with 

 bricks, whilst in some parts of France pools lined and 

 floored with cement are employed. 



River-retting is considered in France to give better 

 results than pool-retting. The bundles of hemp are 

 floated in the stream, and covered with boards loaded 

 with stones. 



After the retting is finished the stalks are washed 

 with fresh water and dried by exposure to the sun 

 and air. In Italy the bundles are opened and the 

 stalks are stood on the grass, root-end downwards 

 in pyramidal shocks. In certain other countries the 

 hemp is spread out evenly in a field, and left for three 

 weeks or more, being turned over with light wooden 

 poles every three or four days. If showers of rain 

 occur during the drying period, considerable injury 

 is likely to be effected, as the fibre is caused to lose a 

 good deal of its lustre and to become harsh. In order 

 to avoid accidents of this kind the stalks are some- 

 times dried at a moderate temperature in bakers' 

 ovens or in brick-kilns. When the hemp is quite 

 dry it is tied up again in bundles, conveyed to a barn 

 or rick, and kept as dry as possible until required for 

 the further processes of preparation. 



Dew-retting is generally adopted in the United 

 States and in ptirts of France. The stalks, after being 

 allowed to stand in shocks for a few days, are spread 

 out carefully in long rows in the fields of stubble from 

 which they have been cut, or on closely cropped 

 pasture land. They are here subjected to the action 

 of the rain and dew for a period varying from two to 

 ten weeks, and are turned over at intervals. If 

 necessary an occasional watering may be given. In 

 warm, rainy weather the hemp is liable to ret some- 

 what rapidly, and the risk of loss is thereby increased, 

 as it is often difficult to turn the stalks whilst the rains 

 continue. The result is that the fibre becomes retted 

 unevenly, and much of it may be over-retted. The 

 occurrence of light, warm showers soon after the 

 hemp has been spread out, however, is of value to 

 start the retting process. It is considered in the 

 United States that although water-retted hemp is 



