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THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



early as the first of April ; while others contend 

 that as late as the 15th of May is best: both 

 are, I think, on the extreme. In this climate, 

 from the middle of April to the first of May is 

 perhaps about right ; say just before corn plant- 

 ing. Hemp should never be stinted ; it should 

 be sowed when the ground is warm, so that it 

 may come up soon and grow off vigorously, 

 and never have a check from drought. It dif- 

 fers essentially from corn, tobacco, &c, in this 

 respect ; for these speedily recover from a check, 

 but hemp does not. As to the quantity of seed, 

 it is said too much cannot be put in, as all the 

 seed over and above what the strength of the 

 land will germinate, will perish. The usual 

 quantity on very rich land is two bushels to the 

 acre; the quantity, however, is varied down to 

 one and a fourth bushels. As to the time of 

 pulling or cutting, this will depend much on the 

 season and time of sowing. Perhaps, as a gen- 

 eral rule, the proper time is when the farina or 

 dust from the male hemp begins to fly, as this 

 shows that this part of the hemp is on the de- 

 cline. "When pulled (which is a laborious pro- 

 cess,) or cut, it is laid in swaths, like wheat, &c. 

 until it is cured, which will be effected, in good 

 weather, in two or three days ; the leaves or 

 tops are then beaten off with sticks ; it is then 

 shocked up, and a band of hemp fastened tight 

 around the top. In this state it remains until it 

 is removed for rotting. 



Hemp is usually spread for dew-rotting late 

 in the fall, the later the better, if there should be 

 sufficient rains and snows to rot it ; when spread 

 early, there is a greater certainty of its being 

 rotted in time, but it is usually darker. A pri- 

 mary object should be, to have it ready for the 

 brake at the earliest moment after the first of 

 January, so that every cold dry day may be de- 

 voted to the brake. On the subject of braking 

 hemp, I should be glad to hear through your 

 paper what improvements are made in this most 

 laborious operation. I understand a spring pole 

 fastened to the head block, has been tried with 

 success in the West. 



Having now, in as concise and plain a man- 

 ner as possible, gotten through with my digres- 

 sions, somewhat after the manner of our great 

 men in Washington, I will conclude by giving 

 you what I promised in my text on 11 water- 

 rotting hemp." Hemp is ready for the water 

 immediately after it is shocked, but the best time 

 is from the 20th of September to the 1st of No- 

 vember. My pond, which is about ninety }^ards 

 long by about thirty yards wide, and two and 

 a half feet deep, is supplied by springs affording 

 water sufficient to fill it in forty eight hours. — 

 Before putting the hemp to water, which is tied 

 into bundles of about the size of a man's body, 

 the head gate is raised and the water let off; 

 poles are then laid across the pond of sufficient 

 distance for a layer of hemp, say from six to 



eight feet ; the first layer being down, butts all 

 one way, the second is reversed, and so on, until 

 four layers are down ;^it is then weighted down 

 with plank and rock; this is then continued 

 until the pond is full. The gate is then let 

 down, and the pond fills, and so remains until it 

 is sufficiently rotted. As to the time necessary, 

 much depends on the season, temperature, and 

 the character of the water. In a still pond, 

 with no running water, eight or ten days will 

 doubtless be sufficient. In 1842, I rotted, in 

 October, in about fifteen days. My last crop, 

 rotted in winter, was barely rotted enough in 

 four weeks. There is, however, in a spring 

 pond very little danger of over-rotting, and no 

 danger whatever of sickness being produced by 

 it. To ascertain when it is rotted enough, a 

 small quantity can be taken out and dried, and 

 applied to the brake. When watered enough, 

 the water is let off, and it so remains for two 

 days to drain, that it may be the lighter and 

 easier handled. The bundles are then set up in 

 shocks of about a dozen in each ; in this state 

 it remains a few days longer, depending of 

 course on the weather ; it is then spread until 

 dry, and then shocked up neatly and bound at 

 top and is ready for the brake. Should the 

 weather be dry and wind}', a day or two is suf- 

 ficient time after spreading. 



The advantages from water-rotting are con- 

 siderable to those whose natural advantages 

 make it convenient. 1 should be very appre- 

 hensive of artificial ponds or pools, as the ex- 

 halation arising from decomposing hemp is very 

 offensive, and must be unhealthy. The first 

 advantage in water-rotting is, that you are in- 

 dependent of the season ; your crop can be got 

 in readiness for the brake early in winter, where- 

 as, in dew-rotting, it may not be ready in a cold 

 dry winter until the braking season is past, 

 when you will be obliged to house or stack 

 your hemp, or lose it. The next advantage is 

 the enhanced price, growing out of its great 

 superiority in color and strength. 



I should be glad, Mr. Editor, to see frequent 

 essays on this most important branch of our 

 agriculture. Why is it that so little appears in 

 your paper on this subject? 



Your constant reader, 



X. Y. Z. 



Roanoke, Va., Jlpril2, 1844. 



We too should be glad to receive any addi- 

 tional information upon the subject of hemp. — 

 We have in our office a specimen of water- 

 rotted hemp, presented by Mr. William Peyton, 

 of Roanoke, which we have reason to think 

 rivals the best specimen from Russia. We 

 know that Mr. Peyton esteems it the most pro- 

 fitable crop that can be grown upon rich land. 



