On Hemp. 



179 



provided for, good breaks and scutcliing-stocks being obtained. 

 This labour will cost from Is. to is. Qd. per stone, according to 

 the goodness and perfect ret and bleaching. The cultivator must 

 be careful to instruct his scutcher to make the hemp up in half- 

 stones of four heads each, tied round with its own heads tightly 

 drawn through the hand ; it makes it look remarkably neat ; the 

 pullings, as they are termed, are tied up in half-stones, with a 

 band round the middle, the ends drawn together bound into a 

 knot. 



I will now notice what is to be done with the female or seed- 

 hemp, provided the same is left for seed, [n the fore part of 

 September the seed-hemp will be ready for pulling ; this may be 

 known by observing and examining the four low seeds on the 

 stem, called by growers elbow- seed; if they are of a dark grey 

 colour and firm inside, and the husks turning a little yellow, it 

 will be ready to pull. By this season strong winds may have 

 occurred, so heavy as to break some of the seed-hemp : instruc- ' 

 tions must therefore be given to the women that pull the hemp, 

 to gather the fallen stems (as they contain seed) and to be careful 

 not to break the stem or cramp it in the hand, as it is termed. 

 Breaking is very detrimental to hemp (I should have observed 

 the same with regard to pulling white hemp). The same manage- 

 ment has now to be observed with respect to retting, &c, as pre- 

 viously noticed with regard to white hemp. The seed-hemp 

 should be set up in stooks of 40 gleans each ; they are convenient 

 for counting, and the under-growth must be raked up and spread 

 evenly over the tops of the stooks to keep off the birds which will 

 infest it, and the heads tied round with a band of the same 

 material to keep the wind from disturbing it. The cultivator 

 may know when the seeds are sufficiently matured to thrash out 

 by the crispness of the capsules and the facility with which the 

 seeds fall out. A cloth will now have to be procured and spread 

 in some convenient part of the field, and a bolster raised on one 

 side of the cloth from the wind to prevent the soil from falling 

 on the cloth amongst the seed ; the stooks must be drawn to the 

 cloth without being taken to pieces, by a rope passing round the 

 stook under the heads and passed over the drawer's shoulder : 

 this requires a strong man ; — he must then place the head part 

 carefully on the cloth. To prevent loss of seed, thrashing ought 

 to be proceeded with as soon as ready, as days at this season 

 (September) are getting short, and fogs frequently occur, so that 

 I a single hour ought not to be lost. As soon as the hemp is 

 thrashed, the grower may proceed to water it as directed for 

 I white hemp, or make it into a rick, and have what is called a 

 I spring-ret; if placed in a rick-, care must be taken that it is pro- 



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