ON HEMP. 



185 



with trees, the better. Lay poles or planks across, or whatever 

 else you have that is suitable, a large number together, so as to keep 

 them at least two inches under water. Take particular notice which 

 you lay in first, and how you lay the bundles, in order that you may 

 be able to get them out successively, as they were laid in, without 

 breaking or entangling. At the end of six days visit the Hemp, 

 and see whether the reed will draw out from some of the bundles. 

 The time required for soaking depends very much on the nature of 

 the Hemp, the weather, and of the water, from six days to nine, or 

 even eleven. It is a trouble that is not ill-bestowed, to sort the 

 Hemp for soaking, if it is of unequal sizes ; the slenderest generally 

 requiring most soaking. Abbe Brulks. 



On the continent a new process for steeping Hemp has been 

 suggested by Mons. Breulles SJiuery, Abbe" Brulles ? ], the utility of 

 which, he asserts, has been confirmed by many experiments. 



It consists in heating water in a vessel or vat to the temperature 

 of 72 to 75 degrees of Reaumur, dissolving in it a quantity of green 

 soap, in the same proportion to the Hemp as 1 to 48. The 

 water employed for the purpose should be about forty times the 

 weight of the Hemp : then throw the latter into the water so as to 

 float on the surface, covering the vessel and extinguishing the fire. 

 Let the Hemp remain in this situation two hours, when it will be 

 found to be sufficiently steeped. The advantages derived from this 

 method are various, independent of the saving of time and expense. 

 The same quantity of Hemp yields more tow. This new method, 



g b likewise, 



