168 



ON HEMP. 



By another letter, dated the 26th August, 1801, Mr. Frushard 

 stated to the Board of Trade, that the Sunn was then ready for cutting; 

 but that the Riotts considered the orders for drying it before steeping 

 and steeping it only forty hours, next to impracticable, from its taking 

 so much more trouble to separate the fibre from the reed under the 

 usual mode of practice. This, they said, would of necessity occa- 

 sion the latter part of every parcel to remain so much longer in the 

 water than the parcel they begin upon, that it must inevitably 

 be over-steeped, become more tender, and likely to perish alto- 

 gether. * 



The several objections urged against the system of preparation 

 laid down by Mr. Fleming, as contained in the Letters above-stated, 

 having been submitted to the perusal of that gentleman, he address- 

 ed a Letter to the Board of Trade, in which he informed them, that 

 on the subject of drying the plant before it was steeped, he adhered to 

 his original opinion of its giving strength to the fibre. As to the 

 period of watering, forty hours might perhaps be too short ; but 

 certainly three or four days was too long : the exact period must be 

 ascertained by experien . With regard to the method of separating 

 the fibre from the reed, he thought it might be left to the discretion 

 of the Residents, to relax or not in the method prescribed, as they 



should 



* These letters of Mr. Frushard were not recorded on the Board of Trade 

 Cons, till the 12th Sept. 1801. I have inserted the above extracts from them in 

 this place, because it appears Mr. Fleming had seen them before he made his 

 Report, on the 8th Sept. 1801. 



