PECULIAE CULTIVATION AND HAE VESTING. 335 



the process of maturing their seed. Before, however, this 

 decay takes place in the male plants, which, if allowed 

 to go on, would materially lessen the yield of the crop, 

 pullers are sent in between the rows, with instructions to 

 pull all the plants with fading flowers, taking care, at the 

 same time, not to injure the female plants left for their 

 seed, which have not yet reached their full maturity. 

 These male plants are thus collected and tied in small 

 sheaves, and either left standing in a convenient place 

 to dry, or at once taken to the steep. 



In about four or five weeks from this time the female 

 plants have matured their seed, and are ready for harvest- 

 ing. This particular period is generally indicated by 

 the decay of the leaves, and the brownish or grayish 

 tint of the seed-vessels. When fully matured, these have 

 a tendency to open and cast out their contents, so that 

 they require to be carefully watched and harvested at 

 the proper time. This is usually determined by 

 examining the four lower seed-pods on the stem, called by 

 growers "elbow-seed." If these be of a dark gray colour 

 and firm inside, and the pods or husks assuming a 

 yellow colour, it is considered ready for pulling. In 

 pulling the seeded hemp, care should be taken not to 

 break the stems, and where any of the plants have 

 been laid by the winds or rain, they should be very 

 carefully handled, or both the seed and the fibre produce 

 are likely to be lessened, if due precautions be not 

 taken in the harvesting. The pulled hemp should be bound 

 into small-sized bundles or sheaves, and left lying on the 

 ground for a few hours with the butts spread out, so that 

 they may become quite dry. The loose soil attached 

 to the roots is then removed, if necessary, by a blow 

 of a fork or stake, and the sheaves are set up in small 

 stocks of four or six each, and left on the ground until 

 the seed-pods are dry and ready for thrashing. They 



