160 farmers' and mechanics^ journal* 



two or three ploughings in the Spring, together with harrowing, so 

 as to smooth the surface, (and thereby enable the seed to he sown 

 even, and the hemp to spring up equally, and be cut close to the 

 roots,) are preparatory steps to the putting in of the seed. 



The Seed, when sown, — The seed (to the amount of two bushels 

 per acre, on middling soil, and three on rich ground,) should be 

 sown as early as possible, in the Spring, after the ground becc meS 

 dry and well prepared. Early sowing renders the coat heavier 

 and stronger, enables the hemp to cover the ground early, so as to 

 smother weeds, and before the sun becomes powerful, to shade the 

 soil and preserve its moisture. The seed, after being cast as even 

 as possible, should be harrowed in, lo as equal a depth as may be, 

 that it may all start toi^ether ; and a heavy roller should then be 

 passed over, or a brush drawn across, to smooth the surface, in or^ 

 der that the hemp may be cut close to the roots. 



Ripening and Harvesti?ig. — When the hemp becomes fit to be 

 cut, the stalks of the blossom, or male hemp, turn yellow, become 

 a good deal speckled, and drop most of their leaves, and. if the air 

 is still, a cloud of dust arises from the blossom stalks, and hangs 

 over the field. When sown early, it will be fit to cut about the 

 first of August. The above appearance will become indicative of 

 the proper time, and then it should be cut without delay : for, if 

 suffered to stand longer, (as about one-half of the stalks blossom, 

 and the other half bear seed,) the stalks of the male will wither 

 and blacken, and the coat be of but little value ; and the fenxile 

 hemp, which has stood to ripen the seed, requires a longer time to 

 rot than the male, and, consequently, both would be thereby in- 

 jured. The best 7ony to get seed zooidd be to sozo some thinly in a 

 separate patch. The mode of cutting is preferable to that of pull- 

 ing. A man will cut half an acre per day ; and a quarter, pulled, 

 is said to be a day's work. By the former practice, the inconve- 

 nience of dust, and the dirt attached to the roots, will be avoided. 

 Cut hemp will be worth ten dollars a ton more than the pulled. 

 Knives, or hooks, for that purpose, may be obtained for about 

 ^I 25 each. When cut, spread the hemp a day or two, to dry it, 

 then bind it, and put it up in shocks. 



Wrelting, (or Rotting.) — As soon as harvested, in order to pre- 

 vent the rains from discoloring; it, proceed, as early as convenient, 

 to wret it, by placing it in clean, pure water, formed by a stream 

 spring, or clear pond. If rotted shortly after cutting, about five 

 days are generally required for the purpose. You will be able to 

 judge, by taking out a handful and drying it, and if the stalk of 

 sheaves will shake out, and separate easily from the bark, leaving 

 it clean and entire, the process of wretting is cbmpleted. The 

 bark, or lint of hemp, is connected with the stalk, by a substance 

 which must be either wretted or dissolved, before they will sepa- 

 rate -, produce the separation, and the work is accomplished. Ex- 

 perienc'3 will be the best criterion. The water in which it is rot- 

 ted should not run rapidly, as it would, in that case, wash a\vay the 



