188 THE ESSENTIALS OF AGRICULTURE 



intended for fiber is pulled by hand, and in European countries 

 the few seed bolls that form are stripped off by hand. The fiber 

 is freed from the woody and gummy parts of the stem princi- 

 pally by fermentation and rotting. The straw, after it has been 

 properly cured, is submerged for a time in water, and later ex- 

 posed to the dew, rain, and sun. After the straw is retted, as 

 this process is called, it is dried and later broken or scutched, 

 which is the process of separating the fiber from the woody 

 stems. The fiber is then ready to be graded and baled for 

 the market. 



III. HEMP 



238. Nature and growth. Hemp is closely related to the 

 oldest cultivated fiber crops. It was introduced into New Eng- 

 land by the early colonists, but its cultivation did not become 

 important commercially. Kentucky produces the bulk of the 

 hemp crop of the United States at the present time, though 

 California, Missouri, Nebraska, and a few other states produce 

 small quantities. The amount of hemp grown in the United 

 States is decreasing because of the lack of labor-saving machinery 

 for handling it and because the use of other fibers, particularly 

 jute, is decreasing the market for hemp. 



For the production of the best fiber, hemp requires a soil which 

 is rich, moist, not acid, and provided with good natural drainage. 

 Clay and other heavy soils usually produce a coarser fiber than 

 do those which are sandy and light. 



Hemp requires a humid temperate climate, and large areas 

 in the valley of the Mississippi and its tributaries are adapted 

 to the growing of this plant. 



There are few insect pests and few plant diseases troublesome 

 to hemp. The worst weed pests are bindweed and branched- 

 broom rape. The roots of the latter grow upon the roots of 

 the hemp. 



Hemp should be seeded in early spring, either broadcasted 

 or drilled about the time oats are usually sown. One bushel, or 

 about forty-four pounds of seed, per acre is commonly used. 



