APPENDIX. 



285 



many years been in the habit of purchasing Hemp in ground, and harvesting it. 

 The fanners here sow it themselves, and sell it on the ground ; they are seldom 

 known to harvest it. Their method of culture is as follows : When they 

 want to bring apiece of tillage land to a wheat crop the next year, they generally 

 maintain it with about twenty or twenty-five putt loads of spit dung per acre, 

 or an adequate quantity of lime, though the preference is given to dung, if it 

 can be obtained. Then, after plowing the ground three times, and working the 

 manure well in, they sow it with Hemp, which has a tendency to cleanse th* 

 ground as well as enrich it, and is almost sure to produce, the following year, an 

 excellent crop of wheat, and the year after a good crop of barley or flax, and 

 after the third year, they commonly bring it to Hemp again, &c. by dressing as 

 above. The farmers generally sell it on the ground from seven to about twelve 

 pounds per acre. An average crop is worth ten pounds per acre. I forgot to 

 say, that half the quantity of dung would be sufficient, provided the fold can be 

 run over the ground. The latter seldom fails to produqp a good harl to the. 

 Hemp. 



The following are the particulars relative to an average crop, and the ex- 

 pences incident thereto. 



Average crop 15 weight per acre, 32lbs. to the weight in Dorsetshire, 

 30lbs. to the weight in Somersetshire, and 14 bushels of seed per acre. Of the 

 Male Hemp (which produces no seed, and is always drawn about six weeks before 

 the Seed Hemp) fifteen women will draw one acre per day ; that cost will be, 

 including liquor, £\. 2s. 6d. Spreading Male Hemp, turning and taking up 

 ditto, about 7s. 6d. per acre. Ten women will draw one acre of Seed Hemp in 

 a day; cost, including liquor, 15s. Thrashing out the seed, and winnowing, 

 (reckoning two men and five women per acre), cost, including liquor, 1 3s. per 

 acre. Spreading, turning, and taking up Seed Hemp, 7s. 6d. per acre. 



There is no machine for dressing Hemp; the process is performed by 

 women and children, who scale it by hand and are paid Id. per lb. for the Male 

 Hemp, and \\. per lb. for the Seed Hemp. It is then fit for market, and the 

 manufacturer buys it, at about 16s. 6d. or 17s. per weight ; present price, about 



ISs, 



