AGRICTJLTURAL MUSEUM 303 



sheaves placing iheir h'acls togetlior, and extract the 

 sseecl in the matiner I shall presently show. 



Those who raise but small qaantities, spread cloth 

 upon the ground to catch their seed. Others clean and 

 prepare a sm^otlj piece of ground, upon which they 

 place the hemp with the heads all on the same side. 

 They then beat it lightly with a piece of wood or flail. 

 This biiiig-^ oat the best seed, which is put by for sowing 

 the next spring. There still remains much seed in the 

 heads. 'Vo extract it, they p.i3S the heads through a 

 comb with iron teeth. This takes off at once the leaves, 

 the tegumtMits of the seeds, and the seeds themselvesl 

 The vvlijle is kept m a heap several days, then spread 

 for drying, then beaten or threshed, and winnowed to 

 separate the seed ; with this they feed bii ds and make 

 hemp-seed oil The sheaves are carried to the routoir, 

 to pass through the same operation with the male sheaves. 



When the sheaves are taken from the routoir, they are 

 opened for drying, and spread towards the sun by the 

 side of a wall, the borders of a ditch, or on open ground 

 if it is not moist. They take care frequently to tui-n the 

 hemp, and when well dried it is again pat into sheaves 

 to be placed undercover, where it is kept dry until they 

 are ready to break it wit'i the hand or a brake. In some 

 provinces it is wholly broken and separated by the hand, 

 and in others those only who raise small quantities, 

 break it with the hand ; the rest use the brake. 



The manner of doing it with the hand is so simple 

 tliat chddren can perform it as well as grown persons. 

 It consists in taking the thi-eads separately, breaking the 

 stalk, and detaching the threads by pulling them through 

 the fingers. This mode appears rather tedious, but as 

 it is pursued at leisui-e hours, and by children who take 

 care of the cattle, it is but of little expense to many fami- 

 lies ; but to small families it occasions great" loss of time 

 which the use of the brake would save. 



Before it is broken, hemp ought to be well dried, or, 

 as the peasants say, well baked. For this purpose, they 

 have at isome distance frvm their houses a haloir or dry. 



