ON SOME UNTRIED EXPERIMENTS 



Possibly some modified form of teazel may be 

 of use in a future industry. Hitherto it has not 

 been known that modified forms were available. 



My experiments with the hemp were con- 

 ducted largely with an Improved Chilean variety, 

 but included also the use of seed from Japan, 

 Russia, and France, as well as from various parts 

 of the United States. The experiments have 

 grown out of a suggestion that I made a number 

 of years ago to a large Boston paper manufac- 

 turer, to the effect that it seemed possible that the 

 fiber of the hemp might be used as a substitute 

 for wood pulp in the manufacture of paper. 



The experimental work is only at its begin- 

 nings, but it seems to be of considerable promise, 

 especially as to improved size of plant, as a 

 hybridized variety has been secured which out- 

 grows all other hemps. The hemp, as is well 

 known, is a dioecious plant, and it may be well to 

 mention the simple but uncommon method of 

 making crosses. All the varieties are first planted 

 separately; and only a few of the largest and 

 tallest male and female plants of each variety are 

 left to bloom. When the heads blossom, the tallest 

 of each variety obtained from different sources 

 are crossed with pollen of the tallest male plants. 



After two seasons of this selection and crossing 

 of different strains from different countries, the 



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