On Hemp. 



175 



him a considerable sum of money and much hard labour — is as 

 follows : — iC The soil best suited for this plant is a fat, strong 

 mouldy from 5 to 6 inches deep, and light clay loam is particu- 

 larly suited. Care must be taken that the land is not over-heavy 

 clay, as in the event of sowing such land with hemp it would not 

 be possible to pull it ; for, when strong clay becomes saturated with 

 rain, the soil runs together, and on drying sets as hard as a pave- 

 ment. All soils suitable for the growth of hemp contain a fair 

 portion of sand, the sand keeping the soil open and light, for the 

 roots of the plant to work for its food. Sandy and bog land were 

 cultivated for hemp, during the long-continued wars, in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Crowland and Spalding ; but was gradually discon- 

 tinued before its conclusion, or nearly so, producing a very inferior 

 article, that obtained a low price. The best mode of cultivating 

 hemp, according to my experience, is as follows : — When the farmer 

 has selected the portion of land which he intends sowing with 

 hemp, he should plough it in November, and lay it up in about six 

 yard ridges, so that it may mellow during the frosts, Care must 

 be taken to plough the land 6 inches deep, if the soil will allow 

 that depth, without interfering with the subsoil. This must be 

 particularly attended to, as, if the subsoil is clayey or too much 

 sand, and any be turned up, it will make the soil poor. The land 

 must be well and properly drained, and the water-courses particu- 

 larly attended to, and the furrows well opened in all parts of the 

 land where water would be likely to remain at any period of the 

 year ; as wherever water has remained on the land at any time, 

 there the hemp will be good for nothing. Early in March the 

 land must be cross-ploughed if the weather is dry, and lie in that 

 state until the beginning of April. The drainage must be attended 

 to ;* as in a great number of seasons heavy rains fall in April and 

 May, which if the water is left to lodge on the land, especially at 

 that season of the year, makes the land cold and sad, and the 

 hemp will be of little or no value. The land having been attended 

 to as just mentioned, it must be well harrowed in dry weather (the 

 roller passed over it), and harrowed up again, and cleared of all 

 roots and twitch. Twitch and horse-mint are fatal to the growth 

 of hemp. The roller and harrow must be applied as often as is 

 found necessary to get the top-soil into fine tilth : then the land 

 may be allowed to lie in that state for a few days, to dry up the 

 small pieces of roots that remain ungathered, and the weeds will 

 sprout. When this portion of the management has been effected, 

 the land must be ploughed, the same way of the field it is intended 



* At the period alluded to, 1810 to 1815, superficial drainage was mainly 

 adopted in the low lands of Lincolnshire, which in fact, from their position, 

 will always occupy a farmer's constant attention, and accounts for the 

 reiterated cautions respecting drainage. 



