

^73 



Raising and dressing of HEMP. 



out twiiling, only the fmall ends of every hand muft be 

 twifted a Uttle, to keep them whole and from tangling; 

 then firft of all lay fome fmooth ilicks down in the bottom 

 of the kettle, (o as to lie acrofe one another, three or four 

 layers, according to the hlgnefs and deepnefs of your ket- 

 tle; this is to keep the hcfmp from touching the liquor; 

 then Dour fome lye of middhng ftrength, half as 



pour 



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ftrong as what you make foap of, gently into the kettle, 

 fo much as not to rife up to the top of the fticks, they be- 

 ing kept dovvn to the bottom; then lay in the hemp each 



layer croiBng the other, fo that the fteem may rife up 

 through the whole body of the hemp, which done, cover 

 your kettlg as clofe as you can, and hang it over a very 

 gentle fire, and keep it finimering or flewing, but not 

 boiling, fo as to raife a fteem for fix or eight hours; then 

 take it off, and let it ftand covered till it be cool enough 

 to handle; then take out the hemp, and wring it very 

 carefully as dry as you well can, and hang it up out of 

 the w^ay of the wind, either In your garret or in your barn, 

 fliutting the doors, and there let it remain, turning it now 

 and then till it be perfedly dry; then pack it up in fome 

 clofe dry place, till you want to ufe it; but you will do well 

 to vlfititnowandthen, left any part of it might be damp and 

 rot. You muft know, that wind and air weaken and rot 



hemp, flax and thread very much. Then at your leifure, 



twill Up fome of the hands, as many as you intend for pre- 



fent ufe as hard as you can, and with a fmart round fmooth 



hand beetle, on a fmooth ftone beat and pound each hand 

 by itfelf all over very well, turning it round from fide to 

 fide, till every part be very well bruifed; youthen untwift it, 

 and hatchel it, firft through a coarfe, and then through a fine 

 hatche! : And remember that hatcheling muft be perform- 

 ed in the fame manner, as a man would comb a fine head 

 of hair, he begins at the ends below, and as that untangles, 

 he rlfca higher, till at laft he reaches up to the crown of 

 of his head. The firft tow makes good ropes for the ufe 

 of the plantation, tlic fecond tow will make very good oz- 

 nabrigs or coarfe fheeting; and the hemp itfelf will make 

 excellent linen. The fame method of ftccming foftcns flax 

 very much. OBSERV^ 



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