HEMP AGRIMONY. 



HENBIT. 



Mr. Ellsworth, in his report upon improve- 

 ments in agriculture, &c., made in the United 

 States, in 1842, observes in relation to the hemp 

 culture, that attention is still directed, and it 

 would seem with somewhat more success, to 

 the discovery of. a process of water-rotting 

 hemp; and it is hoped that the difficulties on 

 this subject may yet be removed. It is stated 

 that, in consequence of the promise last winter 

 of sending out a government agent to purchase 

 water-rotted hemp for the navy, the farmers of 

 Kentucky and Missouri have water-rotted 700 

 tons or more. This, at the prices paid by 

 the government for Russian hemp, is worth 

 $200,000. Many specimens, it is further stated, 

 have been examined, and pronounced equal 

 to Russia hemp. Were a suitable reward to 

 be offered, to stimulate the ingenious, it can 

 hardly be doubted that, by a variety of expe- 

 riments, some process of preparing it for the 

 use of the navy, as well as the Russia hemp, 

 might be found out. 



An important discovery, respecting the ap- 

 plication of waste hemp to the purpose of 

 paper-making, has recently been announced; 

 and if, when it is sufficiently tested, it proves 

 all that it promises, it will afford an additional 

 inducement to the culture of hemp. A process 

 is said to have been found out, by which hemp 

 can be made white as snow, and that it can be 

 used in manufacturing the finest and whitest 

 paper; and a belief is entertained that hemp 

 waste, which can be furnished at two cents 

 per pound, will ere long be sought for by 

 paper-makers, to supply the place of linen 

 rags. 



Hemp is beginning to be raised somewhat 

 more in the Northern and Eastern States. 

 This is true especially of the northern part of 

 the state of New York. At present, however, 

 it is confined to the seed crop, owing to the 

 high price of the seed. It is affirmed to be a 

 mistake to suppose that it must be confined to 

 alluvial lands, as has been shown by the 

 farmers of Saratoga and Washington counties, 

 in the state of New York. We import hemp 

 or hempen articles, some years, to the extent of 

 $9,000,000 or $10,000,000 in value. It is worth 

 from $200 and upwards per ton. When planted 

 in drills, at a suitable distance, as it should 

 be, and properly cultivated, hemp generally 

 produces from 20 to 40 bushels of seed to the 

 acre ; and instances are not rare of its yield- 

 ing from 50 to 60. The seed is generally 

 worth from 3 to 6 dollars per bushel. When 

 sown for the lint, it should be sown broadcast, 

 from 2 to 3 bushels of seed to the acre, depend- 

 ing on the quality of the land ; and it usually 

 produces from 700 to 1000 weight of clean 

 hemp to the acre. Much valuable information 

 respecting the culture and importance of this 

 crop may be found in the files of the Kentucky 

 Farmer for the last few years. 



HEMP AGRIMONY (Enpatorium canna- 

 /n'riMWi). A rough perennial herb, growing in 

 England in watery, boggy places, especially 

 about the banks of rivers, with a tufted, some- 

 what creeping root, with many long fibres. 

 Stems several, 2 or 3 feet high, branched, 

 downy, often brown or purplish, filled with 

 618 



Ipith. Leaves on short stalks, deep green, 

 downy, but rather rough to the touch. The 



I flowers form dense, pale, purplish corymbose 

 tufts, at the top of the stem and upper 

 branches. The whole herb is slightly aroma- 

 tic. Some species of agrimony are used in 

 gargles, and as tea. See AGHIMONT. (Smith's 

 Ens;. jP/or. vol. iii. p. 400.) 



HEMP, INDIAN (Apocynum cannabinum). 

 An American plant with a perennial root, 

 found in the borders of woodlands and other 

 situations in the Middle States, flowering in 

 August. The stems grow from 2 to 4 feet 

 high, smooth, purple, slightly glaucous, with 

 rather erect branches. The leaves are from 

 2 to 4 or 5 inches long, half an inch to an inch 

 and a half wide, elliptic in general form, and 

 more or less downy beneath. The greenish- 

 white flowers are numerous, and sometimes 

 tinged with red. There seems to be several 

 varieties referrable to this species, the bark 

 of which affords a strong fibre similar to that 

 of hemp. One or two additional species of 

 apocynum have been met with in the United 

 States. (Flora Cestrica.) 



HEMP-NETTLE (Galeopsis). A genus of 

 annual weeds common in corn fields, flower- 

 ing in July, August, and September. Dr. Smith 

 describes four native species in England. 



1. Red hemp-nettle (G. ladanum). 



2. Downy hemp-nettle (G. villosa). 



3. Common hemp-nettle (G. tetruhif). 



4. Large-flowered hemp-nettle. Bee nettle 

 (G. versicolor}. (Smith's Eng. Flor. vol. iii. p. 92). 



HENBANE (Hyoscyamus niger). Black hen- 

 bane. This annual herb abounds about vil- 

 lages, road-sides, and among rubbish, and in 

 England flowers in July. Neither horses, 

 cattle, swine, nor sheep, will touch this plant, 

 and it is not relished by goats. The whole 

 plant is fatal to poultry, whence its common 

 name; it intoxicates hogs; but cows, horses, 

 dogs, and goats are able to bear a tolerable 

 proportion before they are affected. The leaves 

 are active only in the second year of the plant : 

 if scattered about buildings, they are said to 

 drive away mice and rats. If more than a 

 small portion of the leaves should have been 

 accidentally swallowed, brisk emetics ought 

 instantly to be taken ; and after discharging 

 the contents of the stomach, it will be neces- 

 sary to administer some mild drinks, such as 

 large portions of vinegar, or lemon juice di- 

 luted with water, as the stomach is able to 

 support them. 



Henbane owes its medicinal properties to 

 an alkali, hyosryamia, which can be obtained 

 in a separate state. It is crystallizable. Be- 

 sides this alkali, the plant yields by destructive 

 distillation an empyreumatic oil, which is a 

 powerful narcotic poison. Notwithstanding 

 these virulent properties, henbane has been 

 professionally administered with considerable 

 success in many obstinate diseases. The ex- 

 pressed juice of the leaves, evaporated to the 

 consistency of extract, has long been used as 

 a narcotic, an anti-spasmodic, and a sopo- 

 rific. 



HENBIT, THE GREAT, or HEXEIT DEAL 

 NETTLE. See DEAD NETTLE. In England 



