PREPARATION OF HEMP itg 



of lighter colour and finer texture and commands 

 higher prices than the dew-retted fibre, it is never- 

 theless not so remunerative, as it requires a large 

 amount of labour and the use of expensive retting 

 tanks. 



Snow-retting is sometimes practised in Russia and 

 Sweden. After the first fall of snow, the dried hemp- 

 stalks are spread out and allowed to be covered by 

 subsequent falls. They are left until the spring, and 

 then, after the snow has melted, are generally found 

 to be sufficiently retted. 



The process of extracting hemp in Japan differs 

 widely from the three methods described above. The 

 stalks are tied into bundles, submitted to the action 

 of steam for a few minutes, and then dried in the sun. 

 They are subsequently dipped into water, and again 

 exposed to the sun for a few days. The bundles are 

 now thoroughly wetted by plunging them into water, 

 and are then heaped on a thick layer of straw mats 

 in a barn and allowed to undergo a moderate fer- 

 mentation. The arrangement of these heaps and the 

 regulation of the fermentative process so as to obtain 

 the best results demand considerable skill. After 

 the fermentation has proceeded to a sufficient extent 

 the fibre is stripped off by hand and immersed in 

 water. The epidermal tissue is removed by scraping 

 the product by hand with a special implement, and 

 the fibre is hung on bamboos to dry in a well-ventilated 

 barn. The product obtained by this means consists 

 of thin, smooth, pale straw-coloured ribbons. 



Breaking and Scutching. These processes are 

 carried out in a very similar manner to those de- 

 scribed in the case of flax (page 106). The greater part 

 of the hemp of commerce is broken by wooden hand- 

 breaks. The woody core of the stalks is crushed 

 between the heavy jaws of this implement, and the 

 " boon " or " shieve " is afterwards removed by a 

 simple beating or scutching process. Sometimes 

 breaking machines, composed of one or more pairs of 

 fluted rollers, are employed. 



