HEMP. 231 



Management of Hemp, directs, that little 

 paths should be made lengthways through 

 the fields, at about seven feet distance from 

 each other, to allow a passage for the person 

 who pulls up the unfruitful hemp from 

 among the other, which requires to stand 

 more than a month after the barren plants 

 to ripen its seed. The fibres of the hemp 

 are prepared for spinning, by a similar pro- 

 cess to that of preparing flax. The beating 

 of hemp, which was formerly performed by 

 hand, is now done by a water-mill, which 

 raises heavy beaters, and only requires the 

 assistance of a boy to keep it turned. This 

 laborious work was formerly imposed as a 

 punishment for vice, in the houses of correc- 

 tion. Hogarth has noticed this circumstance 

 in one of his celebrated pictures. 



It is a duty incumbent on society, not to 

 allow hempen rags, or even old ropes, to be 

 destroyed. They are carefully sorted by the 

 paper-maker, the finest being reserved for 

 the purposes of literature and correspon- 

 dence, while inferior sorts are selected for 

 the various purposes of packages and paper- 

 hangings. 



The seed of hemp, being boiled in milk 

 till it cracks, is accounted good for old 



