CHAPTER II. 

 SOFT HEMP. 



THERE is but one species of the true hemp plant (Cannabis 

 saliva) Fr. Chanvre, Ger. Hanf, Italian Canappa although 

 fibre produced from the plant in India, for instance, differs con- 

 siderably from the European-grown fibre, owing to the differ- 

 ence in the climate. The plant is cultivated extensively in 

 Russia, China, Japan, Italy, Austria, and France. It grows 

 to a height of from 5 to 15 ft., the stems being hollow and 

 fluted. The fibre is found in the outer skin which envelops 

 the woody core or boon. 



Hemp growing in England has almost died out. In former 

 days, hemp was fairly extensively grown in the alluvial 

 districts of Lincolnshire, and at Holderness, also in Ireland 

 and in the county of Suffolk. Forty years ago 500 to 600 tons 

 of dressed English-grown hemp were exported, chiefly to 

 France. 



The hemp plant is peculiar in that the staminate or pollen- 

 bearing flowers and the'pistillate or seed-producing flowers are 

 on separate plants. The latter, or female plant, is larger than 

 the male plant, does not ripen so early, and should conse- 

 quently be harvested last. 



As the best and finest hemp fibre upon the market is grown 

 in Italy, we will describe the method of cultivation as there 

 practised. In that country, and particularly in the districts of 

 Bologna and Ferrara, where the growth of the plant has been 

 carried to a high degree of perfection, a rich, strong loam, well 

 manured, is considered to yield the best fibre. The rotation 



