ON HE M P. 



165 



nounces the system of preparing Sunn, as laid down by Mr. Flem- 

 ing, to be highly erroneous. His objections lie, first, to the drying 

 the article before watering ; secondly, the insufficiency of the time of 

 watering ; and, lastly, the manner of separating the fibre from the 

 reed after watering. 



On the drying before watering he observes : " It is agreed by 

 all, that the shorter time the plant is left in the water, the better it is 

 for giving strength to the fibre. 



" Marcandier (says he) found three or four days sufficient, 

 if the plant was put in green. They do no more here ; but the 

 plant, when dried, requires eight or ten days. The same author 

 considers it as a natural consequence, that when the plant is put into 

 the water green, with the juices still circulating, their adhesive qua- 

 lity must be less, and the separating the fibre from the reed, from 

 the outer pellicle as well as from itself, must be greatly accelerated 

 thereby." — Du Hamel, he observes, says it is a notion only that: the 

 fibres gain strength by drying before steeping ; as the glutinous mat- 

 ter which connects the fibre with itself, with the reed, and with the 

 outer skin, is more readily dissolved by putting the plant into water 

 as soon after it is out of the ground as may be ; and that when the 

 plant is dried before putting into the water, the separation not only 

 comes on more slowly, but more unequally *, which is a great de- 

 fect ; 



» I do not find in the edition of Du Hamel (1747) that I consulted, any 

 thing like this. I rather think Mr. Frushard should have quoted Mills as his autho- 

 rity, instead of Du HameL- Vide pages 159 and 160. 



