THE FIBER CROPS 357 



The fiber is removed from the stem and handled in much the 

 same way as was explained in the case of flax. In many parts of 

 Europe the crop is grown for both seed and fiber. From 10 to 

 25 bushels of seed may be grown per acre. It contains from 30 

 to 35 per cent of oil which is used in paint, varnishes, and for 

 culinary purposes. The yield of fiber may be from 500 to 1600 

 pounds per acre, and it is valuable for making coarse cloth, ropes, 

 twines and carpet warp. Hemp is not grown extensively in the 

 United States, the principal regions of production here being the 

 blue-grass region of Kentucky and Tennessee and certain parts 

 of New York, Nebraska, and Iowa. In central and western 

 Asia, and in many parts of Europe, the crop is an important one. 



