269 



Raising and dressing or HEMP 



■-■'. 



^ 



which occafions great wafte, for four or five inches juft 

 above ground is left, by way of ftubble, which contains 

 the beft and heavieft part of the hemp. 



When the hemp has got its growth, and is fit to be 

 plucked which you will know by the under leaves of the 

 carle, or he hemp, turning yellow and falhng off, the 

 fooner it is pulled the better ; it muft then be bound up 

 with fl:raw bands, In fingle band Iheaves, rather fmall than 

 large, and each fheaf muft be bound in two places; and 

 the fooner it is carried to the water to rot the better ; Wa- 

 ter rotted hemp, if it be rightly managed, is every way 

 better than that which is rotated on the ground : there is 

 lefs wafte in It, when it comes to be dreffed; it looks brighter 

 and fairer to the eye; it is efteemed to be ftronger and more 

 durable, and it always fetches a better price ; befides it is much 

 fooner done, and it is rotted more even and alike, and with 

 greater certainty and exaitnefs. Many people in America arc 

 acquainted with the method of rotting hemp in water, but as 

 many more are not yet acquainted with it, I fhall, for their 

 information, fet down the method of doing it. Hemp may be 

 rotted in ftagnated or ftanding water, fuch as ponds, pools,pr 

 broad deep ditches, and in fuch water it is generally four 

 or five days and nights a rotting, and fometimes longer, 

 according to the heat or coolnefs of the weather; it may 

 alfobe rotted in running water as in a brook or river; and 

 in fuch water three or four days and nights are fiifFicicct, 



according to the weather; to know whether the hemp be 

 otted enough in either cafe, take a middling handful, out 

 of the middle row, and try with both your bands tofiiap 



r 



it aftmder, if it breaks eafy 



it is rotted cnouf^h 



o 



but if it 



yet appears pretty ftrong, it is not, and muft lie longer, till 

 it breaks with cafe, and then it muft be taken out and dried 

 as foon as poftible; in handling the flieaves, take hold of 

 the bands, and fee them up an end againft a fence, if one 

 be near, or lay them down upon the grafs, for tlie water 

 to drain off, and then unbind them carefully, open and 

 fpread them to dry thoroughly; then bind them up again 



and 



^1 



"1 



