wo AGRICULTURAL MUSEUM 



ed willi ease, the hemp is thought to be siifliccintly rot- 

 ted, and is then taken from the rutoir. This operation 

 cfl'rets more than tlie detaching oi" the bark iVoin Ihe 

 palp. It renders the filametit soft and fine ; but toim- 

 tlerstand hosv this result is produced by water, a know- 

 ledge of the organic disposition of the stalk is neces- 

 sary. Tliis I will attempt to ex])Iainj with as much bre- 

 vity as I am able. 



The slaJks are hollow in the middle, or filled with a 

 soft pulp. This is surrounded with a tender and fragile 

 wooden substance, which is called the chenevotce or 

 gtalk stripped of its bark. Over the chenevotte is a bark, 

 rather tine than otherwise, composed of fihiments which 

 extend the whole length of the stalk. 'I'his baik ad- 

 heres closely to the chenevotte and the longitudinary 

 fibres which compose it ^re joined to each oUicr by a 

 vesicular or cellulary texture The whole is finally co- 

 vered with a very fine membrane, which may be called 

 the epiderme. The object proposed in immersing the 

 hemp, is to cause the bark to detach itself with more 

 case from the stalk, and to destroy the epiderme with a 

 part of the cellulary texture, which binds together the 

 loni^iaidinary filaments. All this is brought about by 

 putr-.sc-nce, for which reason it is hazardous to keep 

 the hcmj) too long immersed, lor then it rots too much ; 

 in ather words, it acts not only upon the outer skin and 

 the finer fi-ircs, but it acts with too much force on the 

 longitudinary fibres ; in fact it rots the hemp too much, 

 und ill that case the thread loses its strength. On the 

 other hand, when the hemp has not been long enough in 

 the water, the bark continues to adhere to the stalk, the 

 thread is hard, clastic, and cannot be made fine enough. 

 There is therefore a medium to be observed, and this de- 

 pends not alone upon the extent of the time of the ini- 

 niersion of the hemp, but also — Firstly, upon the quality 

 of the water; which when still, rots the hemp sooner than 

 rutming water ; so does foul sooner than limpid. Se- 

 condly, upon the temperature of the air; as it rots soon- 

 er in warm than cold \\eathcr. Thirdly — ujipu the 



