302 AGRICULTURAL MUSEUM. 



toir ; since the quality of the hemp, that of the water, and 

 the temperature of the air impede or advance its progress 

 in this operation. 



The usual criterion that the hemp has been snflicient- 

 ly rotted, is, when the bark is easily dcta<*hed fiom its 

 stalk from top to bottom. It must also he allowed that 

 the habitual employment of the peasants who cultivate 

 it, must aid them muL'h in deciding up )n the requisite de- 

 gree of rot. They however are sometimes mista- 

 ken ; and 1 have observed that in some provinces they 

 are in the habit of rotting ii more tlian in others 



1 must not omit to caution against rotting the hemp in 

 water in which the fresh water shrimps abound, ior 

 these animals eat and almost destroy the thread 



When upon the subject of gatherii.g ihe male hemp, 

 we remarked that the female was left standing to ga/a 

 time to ri|)en its seed. This Iiowever causes the hemp 

 itself to become too ripe. Its Oa k becomes too ligneous, 

 and of consequence its thread:^ thicker a;)! coarser than 

 that of the male. Notwitnstanding this, \ hen the seed ap- 

 pears to be well formed, the female hemp is gathered in 

 the sametnanner with the male, and arranged m sheaves. 



In some places, to complete the ripening of the seed, 

 they dig in the hemp fi:^id round holes of a foot depth, and 

 from three to lour feet diameter. In these they put a 

 number of sheaves well bound together, with the luads 

 of the sheaves in the holes and the roots above. They 

 are fastened in this situation with cords of straw, and 

 the earth which has been taken from the holes is heaped 

 up round the bundle olsheaves so as to cover their heads. 

 Aided by their own moisture, tht- heads, becc-me heated 

 as green hay does placed upon a layer oi manure. 'lh;s 

 fermentation completes the ripening of the seed, and dis- 

 poses it to leave its shell with more ease. When the si- od 

 has acquired this quality, the sheaves arr tdken from liie 

 holes, where they vv.uild be consumed were they longer 

 to remain. In other cantons whero much hemp is rais- 

 ed, they do not bury the iieads in Jhis wAy, but stack the 



