ON HEMP. 



277 



. If it were possible to spin the fibres of Hemp throughout their 

 whole length, it is certain they could never be too long : they would, 

 on the contrary, more easily join to each other, and would require 

 less twisting to prevent them from separating, which is a considerable 

 advantage. When the Hemp is from six to seven feet long, the 

 spinners, being unable to extend its whole length in the thread, are 

 obliged to double it, which renders the thread less strong and perfect. 

 It is sufficient if the firsts be three feet long.* 



When it is found necessary to break the Hemp in two, the 

 heckler takes a small part of the handful in his left hand, twists it 

 round one of the teeth of the coarse heckle,"!- and, pulling forcibly 

 with the right, breaks the Hemp in the same manner as when 

 separating the roots. Then he takes another parcel of fibres, on 

 which he performs the same operation, until the whole handful be 

 broken in two. 



If the Hemp be not excessively long, the hecklers must be 

 strictly prohibited from breaking; for it is preferable to let the spin- 

 ners have a little more trouble, than to suffer the hecklers to break 

 part of the fibres only a foot or a foot and a half in length. 



AVhen the Hemp requires to be so divided in two, care must be 

 taken that it be broken in the middle : for it is much more advan- 

 tageous to have only firsts, though rather short, than to convert into 

 seconds any of the Hemp which might have furnished firsts. 



The 



* The firsts are more esteemed if five or six feet long. R. W. 

 f This is better done with the twitch pin. 



