^08 Agricultural museum 



rich, lifflif, tleep and moist ; but not spout}', or wet, 

 Laii'l that bears strong Tobacco, will produce good 

 Hemp. Old grotind well manured brings the heaviest 

 crops, for according to the strength of the soil, will the 

 produce be, from 5 or 6 to 12 or 15 cwt. 



The season for sowing Hemp in our latitude, is from 

 the beginning of May, to the last of June. It h necessa- 

 ty that the ground inten led, should be in the best order, 

 early in May, that the first favorable season that oflers, 

 for sownig the seed may be embraced. This is previ 

 ous to a warm rain, or as soon after, as the ground will 

 admit. When this is in fit order, and weather warm? 

 as fe\v seeds vegetate quiclycr, it will appear in 48 or 60 

 hours, which not only preserves it from the birds, but by 

 its spreading leaf shelters the soil from the scorchmg 

 sun. Should a fit season for sowing, be protracted, it 

 becomes necessarj', by stirring, to keep the weeds under 

 and the soil in order. The quantity of seed for an acre, 

 wiieu intended for cordage, is from one bushel to six 

 pecks, adcording to the quality of the soil; the richest 

 requiring the most seed, whicli prevents the Hemp from 

 growing too high But when Hemp is intended for do- 

 mestic purposes, two bushels or even a little more is re- 

 quisite, which renders the fibre fine, and fittle inferior to 

 our country flaj^. 



Hemp is male and female, in different plants. The 

 Farina or dust, emitted from the flowers of the male 

 plant, is necessary to impregnate the female flowers, 

 to render the seed productive. The proper season for 

 pulling, or what is far preferable, cutting the hemp, is 

 from the beginning to the end of August. — This period is 

 sufiiciently ascertained, from the appearaiice of the 

 male plants, as v\ hen nearly fit to cut the blossom be- 

 comes of a pale yellow colour, and emits, upon the least 

 touch or motion, a dust, which in the morning, appears 

 like a fog rising from the Hemp^ and when this blossom 

 and the upper leaves of the male begin to fall, the Hemp 

 is fit to cut— which should be doue close to the gioun.d 



