HEMP 85 



Harvesting takes place when the plants begin to turn 

 pale. The plants are uprooted, not cut, and are made 

 up into sheaves tied together at the butt end only. The 

 bundles are not more than 2\ spans round, and of equal 

 size. When first uprooted the sheaves are placed flat on 

 the field in rows to dry and in such zig-zag fashion that the 

 top end of one sheaf is always made to rest on the butt end 

 of another, and thus does not come into contact with the 

 ground : this ensures the circulation of air and hastens the 

 drying process. The sheaves are taken later to the thresh- 

 ing-floors, where they are stood upright until they are dry. 

 The seed is separated by beating. The sheaves are exposed 

 to the sun until the leaves are shed, and when the stems 

 are entirely dry the bundles are tied up at both ends and 

 are taken to the ret ting-place, which is usually the common 

 stone tank or cistern of the country. There they are 

 steeped in water for six to nine days. The bundles are 

 generally covered by about one foot of water. On the 

 sixth day the fibre is tested. If it separates easily the 

 bundles are removed, if not they remain for another two 

 or three days. This requires much care and experience, 

 as the quality depends largely upon effective retting. Then 

 they are taken out of the water and sun-dried, being piled 

 up into pointed shooks, left hollow in the centre. 



The fibre is separated by means of a wooden implement 

 locally called " melidjia." This consists of a wooden 

 trough placed on two legs which are fixed in the ground. 

 A wedge-shaped piece of wood which is hinged to the 

 trough at one end is used as the beater. The hemp stalks, 

 after the butts are cut off, are placed in the trough and the 

 beater worked up and down so as to split the stalks and 

 lay bare the fibre. 



The average production of fibre per scala is 60 to 80 

 okes, but where conditions are all favourable it may reach 

 1 60 to 200 okes and the seed yield may be anything from 

 80 to 200 okes per scala. 



Silk 



The silkworm (Bombyx mori) finds in Cyprus a climate 

 exceptionally favourable to its development, and Cyprus 



