SUNN HEMP 123 



commencement of the rainy period (June or July). 

 The seed is either sown broadcast or planted by 

 means of a drill, the amount used being about 70 Ib. 

 per acre. After the seeds have germinated, no 

 further attention is jequired until the collection of the 

 crop which takes place from 4 to 5 months after 

 sowing. The plants should be 3 or 4 inches apart 

 in each direction. 



Harvesting is usually effected during the flowering 

 stage but, in some cases, is deferred until the fruit 

 has been formed. The plants are generally uprooted 

 from the soil, but sometimes they are cut off close 

 to the ground by means of a sickle. The stems are 

 allowed to dry and the leaves and fruits are then 

 removed. It is preferable, however, at any rate in 

 humid regions, to treat the crop immediately after 

 it has been gathered, without permitting it to become 

 dry. 



The fibre is extracted by means of a retting process, 

 similar to that employed in the case of jute (page 135). 

 The stems, tied up in bundles, are placed in pools of 

 water and kept submerged by being loaded with 

 stones or logs of wood. Retting is usually complete 

 in India in about five days, but a longer time is 

 required in cold weather. The bark is then stripped 

 from the stems, and the strips are cleaned by beating 

 them with sticks and dashing them repeatedly against 

 the surface of the water. When the fibre is quite 

 clean, it is squeezed to remove the water and then 

 hung on lines to dry. 



The yield of dry stems usually amounts to 3 or 

 4 tons per acre ; the dry stems furnish about 8 per 

 cent, of their weight of clean fibre, and hence the 

 quantity of fibre obtained per acre is about 5 or 6 

 cwts. 



Sunn hemp resembles European hemp in appearance, 

 but is not quite so strong. It consists of narrow, 

 ribbon-like strands about 4 or 5 feet long, with a 

 colour varying from grey to pale yellow. The fibre 

 is only slightly lignified. 



The ultimate fibres of which Sunn hemp is com- 

 posed are approximately 0-2-0-4 inch long, and have 



