DISEASES AND INSECT INJUEIES. 339 



When we recollect that hemp requires a soil of more 

 than average natural fertility, richly manured, and that 

 its cultivation differs widely from any other of our farm 

 crops, the foregoing returns certainly do not offer any 

 great inducements for its re-admission into our present 

 system of cropping. Still, however, it would appear 

 that there may exist conditions of soil and of general 

 husbandry arrangements take Ireland, for instance 

 where it may be profitably grown. 1 There, in some 

 districts, the soils and climate are well suited to its 

 requirements, while, owing to the difference in their 

 harvest arrangements, the field labour would not be so 

 disturbed by the peculiar mode and period of harvesting 

 the hemp as it would be in this country. 



We have very little information in reference to the 

 diseases or insect injuries to which the plant is subject. 

 The only injury to the crop which has been noticed in this 

 country is that inflicted by a peculiar parasitic plant, a 

 member of the family of "broom-rapes" Orobanche 

 already referred to at page 126. These plants differ greatly 

 in appearance, and also in their mode of attack, from the 

 "dodders/' growing parasitically upon the roots, and not 

 upon the stems, of their victims, but both drawing their 

 supplies of food from the juices of the plant to which they 

 attach themselves. The broom-rapes are herbaceous, leaf- 

 less plants : the 0. major (fig. 1), which is met with chiefly 



1 The annual importations of hemp show that the demand is largely in excess 

 of the home-grown supply, and that a ready market would be found for all 

 that could be produced. 



FOKEIGN HEMP IMPOKTED IN 1857: 



Cwts. 



Of dressed hemp, 37,288 



Undressed ,, 739,938 



Codilla 14,975 



In all, 792,101 



Of hemp-seed also, 4727 quarters, costing 10,636, were imported the 

 same year. 



