240 O N H E M P. 



scour ., your Hemp in the water, where you soak it, you must do it 

 in the trough ; but in either case you must be careful to keep an 

 even and steady hand, to avoid breaking the reed, which as many 

 times as it happens renders the operation of getting the reeds out 

 tedious. If it is wrought on a table, the bundle must be frequently 

 but slightly wetted. If any suitable method could be adopted to 

 make water drip gently on it, it would be best. A plank must be 

 lain on the bundle to keep it steady. 



All matters being properly disposed upon the table, or in the 

 trough, you must begin at the root-end to push back a little the 

 rind from the stem : then taking hold of one stem at a time, and 

 rather near the outside than the middle of the bundle, keep your 

 hand and the reed under water (if you work in a trough), and 

 draw it out from the bundle, as straight as possible : you will find it 

 come out clean as a sword from its scabbard. As you proceed, you 

 may take two, afterwards four, and up to six or more reeds at a 

 time, which will draw out still more- easily. When you have 

 drawn out all the reeds that you can find at the root-end, lift up 

 the spiked plank which was at the upper end, leaving on that 

 which was in the midddle, and draw out such pieces of reed as 

 you may find at the* upper end, and which have remained after 

 drawing out what you could at the root-end, because they were 

 broken : lastly, take off the plank which was laid on the middle, 

 and take out all the relicks of reed you can perceive. If 

 your Hemp was in good condition for drawing, you will now 

 find all your reeds perfectly clean on the floor, and the rind, 



which 



