THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



521 



may be planted and covered with earth very 

 slightly, (and periiaps no such covering is neces- 

 sary,) on well broke ground, at any titne from 

 November to March, lor the early crop ; and 

 then cover the whole* thickly with straw, pine 

 leaves, or any such open material. (Might not 

 saw -dust answer well, where obtained in plenty 

 from a saw-mill 7) Nolhing more is needed until 

 the largest potatoes are fit to be eaten. Then, 

 instead of having to dig them, and to waste the 

 smaller to get a few of the largest, the litter may 

 be gently lifted, and each cluster of'potatoes be seen 

 and handled, and the largest plucked from the 

 stalk, leaving the smaller undisturbed to grow. 

 Each cluster will be found above the ground, 

 and appearing like a bunch of grapes. 



For the second crop, when removing the first 

 in October, no preparation was made except to 

 leave in place, as seed, enough of the smaller 

 potatoes. The earth was so soft and mellow as 

 to need no breakmg. The old litter was replaced 

 as each row was gathered and again planted, and 

 enough of additional litter added afterwards. 

 £ven when it was designed to remove all the 

 crop, and to change the planting ground to ano- 

 ther place, so many plants sprang up through the 

 litter next spring, from the many small tubers left 

 by carelessness or accident, as to produce a mid- 

 dling crop in quantity, (it being too thin set,) and 

 of roots much earlier and larger than the new and 

 designed planting. Indeed there might be thus 

 kept a perpetual potato patch, with very little 

 planting, no culture, and no subsequent manuring 

 other than the leaves, but for one objection, which 

 will usually be found to be serious to the third 

 successive crop. This is, that the field mice, and 

 other such vermin, will have so increased in the 

 excellent and safe quarters furjiished to them by 

 the litter, that the crop will be much injured by 

 their depredations. 



This plan must be better for southern than for 

 more northern regions, as the thick cover of leaves 

 preserves both more moisture and a much cooler 

 temperature in the heat of summer ; both of which 

 are so necessary to the best condition of the Irish 

 potato crop.— Ed. F. R. 



VATS FOR WATER ROTTING HEMP — THE IM- 

 PORTANCE OF THE BUSINESS. 



From the Kentucky Fanner. 



Lexington, j^ug. 9th, 1841. 

 Dear sir :— I beg leave to lay before you a 

 few suggestions relative to the promotion of the 

 great object I have in hand— the water rotting of 

 hemp. 



Vol. IX.— 49 



Those farmers who have not the convenience 

 of water in small spring hranclK'3, streams or 

 ponds, can obviate the dillicuiiy by consiructing 

 vMis made out of plank, at a ret;pecil'ul distance 

 liom their dwellings. Let them make two vats, 

 siiy 20 by 40 leet and le^ve an incline, that when 

 the hemp has undergone its solution in the upper 

 the water can be let into the lower. By this 

 means one vat of water will rot three vats full of 

 hemp. 



To obtain the water to these vats 1 would re- 

 commend a small lifting pump which has been 

 invented by Mr. Warner of this city^; also a pump 

 that is manulactured in Cincinnati, which the firm 

 of Messrs. Dudley have on Main street. Either 

 will answer the [)urpose to draw the water out of 

 a well or a spring and convey it to the vats by 

 small wooden troughs. 



A farmer having fifty acres of hemp, can with 

 ease, and with no interference, water rot say one 

 half of his crop, the largest of his hemp, and dew 

 rot the balance, which will increase the amount 

 of his crop of hemp in value 33J per cent. For 

 instance, a crop of hemp of fifty acres averaging 

 600 pounds to the acre, dew rotted, at $5 per 

 112 lbs. will amount to ^1300. The same crop 

 one half water roited, will amount to iijl900. 

 This can be done with little trouble, and divide 

 their business in the preparation of their hemp 

 crop, and will bring their staple earlier to market, 

 which will also produce them an established price, 

 and enhance the value of their lands. 



These small pumps can be obtained with a 

 proportion of hose to them, for $75. The cost of 

 this is trifling in comparison to the gain of water 

 rotting. 



The hemp grower not only gains by the ad- 

 vance in price, but he has many advantages. 

 His hemp before the spring is open, is out of his 

 way, and delivered, and he is prepared to attend 

 to the necessary arrangements of his farm ; such 

 as repairing his fences, and many other matters, 

 which from my observation, as I pass through 

 the farms, are very necessary, 



A farmer can prepare for water rotting a crop 

 of hemp upon the plan I describe, and it will not 

 cost more than #125 including pump. This is for 

 the first year. The second, the cost is nothing, 

 and with two hands this quantity can be rotted by 

 commencing the first of September, After it is 

 rotted, (which will be about the middle of Octo- 

 ber) by the first of December, with additional 

 hands for breaking, he has his hemp delivered 

 and is in possession of its value. What an im- 

 portant matter this is to The farmer. If they 

 would enter into it with spirit, there will be always 

 a steady market at not less than $9.00, as the 

 amount required for our navy and commercial 

 enterprise is about 12,000 tons yearly. Indepen- 

 dent of this, it will cause eastern capitalists to 

 embark in the enterprise of establishing factories 

 for the manufacture of sail cloth, &c. 



I submit this to the hemp growers' considera- 

 tion, and trust it will encourage them to prompt 

 action in the promotion of this great national ob- 

 ject ; viewing it not only as promoting national 

 independence but as a means of domestic inde- 

 pendence to the present and future generations. 

 David Mverlei. 



