Wo. 149.] - 409 



American Institute, ) 

 Farmers^ Club, March 4, 1851. ^ 



CULTURE AND PREPARATION OF FLAX AND HEMP. 



President Tallmadge, in the chair. 

 Henry Meigs, Secretary. 



Vice President Pell, of Pellham, remarked that next to flax, 

 hemp, (cannabis sativa) may be mentioned. It is pretty general 

 ly imagined to be of eastern origin, and considered too tender to 

 be naturalized in European countries. It belongs to the nettle 

 tribe of plants, order, urticece, which are spread over the world. 

 It produces its male and female flowers on different plants, which 

 has some influence on its management and cultivation. In coun- 

 tries where the soil, cliniate and cultivation is adapted to its re- 

 quirements, it is not uncommon to find it growing fifteen feet 

 high, and producing a fibre of great strength and beauty. The 

 manner of cultivating it, and its use, is almost the same as flax, 

 and like tliat plant, when grown for seed, it is a great exhauster 

 of the ground, but if pulled green for commercial purposes, it 

 leaves the earth in far better tilth and much cleaner than 

 flax. It enjoys another valuable property, which is to preserve 

 from the ravages of insects any description of crop that it may en- 

 \ circle. 



Hemp requires a far riclier soil than flax — a deep rich loam , 

 containing a very large per centage of decomposed vegetable 

 matter, suits it best ; the richer the land the stronger will be the 

 fibre. I think a well prepared muck soil will be found best 

 adapted to its wants. It may succeed corn, and it will leave the 

 soil well prepared for the succeeding crop, whatever it may be. 

 The farmer must bear in mind that hemp is readily injured by 

 frost in spring, and therefore it should not, on any account, be 

 sown before the tenth day of May. It must be sown broad-cast, 

 and from two to three bushels per acre. If the land is richly and 

 properly prepared, and the seed is heavy and of a bright color, 

 after cultivation will be entirely unnecessary, as its exceedingly 

 rapid growth will soon overshadow and destroy any weeds that 



