206 THE FARMER'S 



After culture. 



As hemp, from its tall growth and thick foliage, 

 soon covers the surface of the land and prevents 

 the rising of weeds, little attention is necessary af- 

 ter the seed has been put into the ground, espec- 

 ially where the broadcast method of sowing is 

 practised; but, when put in by the drill machine, 

 a hoeing or two may be had recourse to with ad- 

 vantage in the early grt)wth of the crop. 



In the culture of this plant, it is particularly 

 necessBfry, that the same piece of land contains 

 both male and female, or what is sometimes de- 

 nominated simple hemp. The latter kind contains 

 the seed. 



When the crop is ripe, (which is known by its 

 becoming of a whitish yellow colour, and a few 

 of the leaves beginning to drop from the stems; 

 this happens commonly about thirteen or fourteen 

 weeks from the period of its being sown, accord- 

 ing as the season may be dry or wet, the first sort 

 being mostly ripe some weeks before the latter:) 

 the next operation is that of taking it from the 

 ground, which is effected by pulling it up by the 

 roots, in gmall parcels at a time, by the hand, ta- 

 king care to shake off the mould well from them 

 before the handsful are laid down. In some dis- 

 tricts, the whole crop is pulled together, without 

 any distinction bemg made between the different 

 kinds of hemp; while, in others, it is the practice 

 to separate and pull them at different times, accor- 

 ding to their ripeness. The latter is obviously the 

 better practice; as by pulling a large proportion 

 of the crop before it is in a proper state of matu- 

 rity, the quantity of produce must not only be con- 



