Book VI. HE. Ml'. 917 



Subsect. 2. Hemp. — Cannabis satha L. ; Diu'cia Pentandria L., and JJrticeee J. 

 Chanvre, Fr. ; Hanf, Ger.; Cauapa, Ital. ; and Canomo, Span. 



5922. 77<e /w>mp is a plant of equal antiquity with the flax. It is supposed to be a 

 native of India, or of some other Asiatic country, being too tender to be even naturalised 

 in Europe. It is one of the few plants employed in British agriculture in which the 

 male and female flowers are in different plants, a circumstance which has some influence 

 on its culture and management. It grows to a great height on good soils; sometimes 

 to six or seven feet in this country, but in Italy generally higher ; and Crud states, that 

 in the Bolognese territory he has seen it fifteen feet eight inches high, and a friend of his 

 eighteen feet six inches": in both cases the fibre being of remarkable beauty. This 

 luxuriance of the hemp in warm countries may be one reason why it has never been 

 much cultivated in England. In the Isle of Axholme, in Lincolnshire, it has been 

 cultivated from time immemorial, and also for some centuries in Suffolk, but chiefly for 

 local manufacture. The culture, management, and uses of hemp are nearly the same 

 as those of flax. When grown for seed, it is a very exhausting crop ; but when pulled 

 green, it is considered a cleaner of the ground, and is said to have the property of pre- 

 serving from insects any crop which it may surround. The objections to this crop are, 

 that its coming in the midst of harvest is embarrassing ; and that the attention it demands 

 in every state of its progress is too great, w here it is only a secondary consideration. 



5923. The soils most suitable for hemp are those of the deep black putrid vegetable 

 kind, which have a situation low and somewhat inclined to moisture, as well as the deep 

 mellow loamy or sandy sorts. But the quantity of produce is in general much greater 

 on the former than the" latter ; though, according to some, of an inferior quality. Mellow- 

 rich clayey loams do well ; and nothing better than old meadow land. 



5924. The preparation of the soil, and the place in the rotation, are the same as for flax. 



5925. The season of sowing is towards the end of April, when there is no longer any 

 danger of frost injuring the rising plants. The quantity of seed is from two to three 

 bushels, according to the quality of the land. In quality the seed must be fresh, heavy, 

 and bright in colour. Broad-cast is the universal mode of sowing ; and the only after- 

 culture consists in keeping off birds when it is coming up ; in weeding ; and sometimes 

 in supporting the crop by cress rods or lines, as in the case of flax. 



5926. In taking the hemp crop, two methods are in use, according to the object in view. 

 When the crop is grown entirely for the fibre, it is pulled when in flower, and no dis- 

 tinction made between the male and female plants. But as it is most commonly grown 

 both with a view to fibre and seed, the usual practice is to pull the male plants as soon 

 as the setting of the seed in the females shows that they have effected their purpose. As 

 the female plants require four or five weeks to ripen their seeds, the males are thus pulled 

 so long before them. 



5927. In the operation of pulling the mates, the pullers walk in the furrows between the ridges, and 

 reach across to the crown ot the ridge, pulling one or two stalks at a time, and carefully avoiding to tread 

 down the female plants. The male stalks are easily known by their yellowish hue and laded flowers. 

 They are tied in small bundles, and immediately carried to the watering pool, in the manner of flax. 



5928. The operation qf pulling the females commences when the seed is ripe, which is known by the 

 brownish or greyish hue of the capsules and the fading of the leaves. The stalks are then pulled and 

 bound up into bundles, being set up in the same manner as grain, until the seed becomes so dry and firm 

 as to shed freely ; great care should be taken in pulling not to shake the stalks rashly, otherwise much of 

 the seed may be lost. It is advised that, after pulling the seed, hemp may be set to stand in shocks of five 

 sheaves, to dry the seed ; but, in order to prevent any delay in watering, the seed-pods may be cut off with 

 a chopping-knife, and dried on canvass exposed to tlie air under some shed or cover. This last method of 

 drying the seed will prove of great advantage to the hemp, as the seed and pods, when green, arc of such 

 a gummy nature that the stems might suffer much by sun-burning or rain, which will disi olour and injure 

 the hemp before the seed can be sufficiently dried upon the stalks. Besides, the threshing out ihe seed 

 would damage the hemp in a considerable degree. 



5929. Hemp is watered (provin. water-retted), bleached fprovin. dew-retted), and grassed 

 in the same manner as flax. Grassing is omitted in some places, and drying substituted ; 

 and in other districts watering is omitted with the female crop, which is dried and stacked, 

 and dewed or bleached the following spring. On the Continent hot water and green soap 

 have been tried ; and here, as in the case of flax, it is found that steeping for two hours 

 in this mixture is as effectual in separating the fibre from the woody matter, as watering 

 and grassing for weeks. 



5930. Although hemp, in the process of manufacturing, passes through the hands of the breaker, heckler, 

 spinner, whitester, weaver, and bleacher, vet tnanv of these operations are frequently carried on by the 

 same person. Some weavers bleach their own yarn and cloth ; others their cloth only : some heckle their 

 tow, and put it out to spinning; others buy the tow, and put it out ; and some carry on the whole ot the 

 trade themselves. 



5931. The produce of hemp in fibre varies from three to six cwt. per acre ; in seed from 

 eleven to twelve bushels. 



5932. The uses of hemp are well known, as well as its great importance to the navy 

 for sails and cordage. 



5933 Exceedingly good huckaback is made from it, for towels and common table cloths. The low priced 

 hempen cloths are a general wear for husbandmen, servants, and labouring manufacturers ; the I elter 

 sort, for working farmers and tradesmen in the country; and the finer one-, seven-eighths wide, are ptc 



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