HEMP AND FLAX. 333 



Pulling, retting, spreading, lifting, turning, "I ^ q ^ 



binding, and housing _ _ J 



Breaking 40 scone, at is. 6d. - 3 O O 



At 7s. 6dl it only pays - - £-^5 ^ O 



Most is grown by cottagers in bits, roods, and half acres 

 of land ; few have so much as an acre: Russian hemp is 

 fit only for coarse goods, being deficient in fineness, 

 strength, and colour. A relation, at LowestofF, made 

 nets of it at the same price as Russian good hemp ; but it 

 would not last in salt water so long as the Russian ; but 

 Russian linen is far inferior in strength to our own home- 

 made. They could always sell more home hemp sheeting 

 than is possible to make, and those who cannot get it, and 

 buy Russian, find a vast difference. But coarse sheeting 

 is made of the refuse of all ; fine sheeting, 3s. 6d. a yard, 

 five-quarters wide. 



If encouragement was given to the growth, it would be 

 a very good thing for the poor ; for it is of great benefit 

 to them ; iind would answer better to them than potatoes : 

 a rood pays their rent, and keeps them in employment. 

 The 4d. a stone bounty was not worth going for ; to encou- 

 rage it by 6d. a stone, instead of 3d. might do a little good. 

 Mr. Richardson never claimed the 4d. though he grew 

 for three years. Not half tlie hemp raised now, that he 

 remembers, though the price is doubled. Where they 

 used to have hemp, they now have wheat. And little 

 farmers had moie than large ones at present. 



A small quantity is cultivated around Downham, by 

 farmers who sell it to cottagers, at 5I. to lol. an acre, as 

 it grows: they sow wheat after it, and always have good 

 crops ; they muck for the hemp. 



Vu 



