Water Hotting Hemp. 
bushel. Water rotted brings about double 
this price, and when proper conveniences 
exist, costs but little more than dew rotting; 
but in the process, some few difficulties are 
to be encountered. We think the best plan 
decidedly, is that adopted by Mr. Olcott, at 
Newport, Kentucky, in vats under cover, the 
water in which, is kept at an equable tempe¬ 
rature. The hemp thus gets a perfect rot 
at all seasons of the year, in seven or ten 
days, and when dried, is of a bright, greenish, 
flaxen color, and is considered by many, of a 
better quality, and appears as handsomely as 
the finest Russian, and brings as high a price 
in market. 
These vats may be easily constructed and 
managed, and if built in a central position, by 
a company of planters on joint account, they 
would be but of small expense to each, and 
all in turn could be accommodated by them. 
Although familiar with the process, from 
frequently visiting Mr. Olcott’s hemp factory, 
we could hardly make the reader understand 
their construction and management, without 
numerous drawings; it would be better, 
therefore, to employ an experienced and 
practiced hand in their construction and first 
management. Mr. Olcott breaks his hemp 
in a machine, which is moved by steam 
power, previous to rotting, this lessens the 
bulk greatly, by ridding it of most of its 
woody fibre ; but the process is not essential 
to rotting in vats, and can be dispensed with 
where the machines do not exist. 
If to be rotted in spring or river water, 
artificial pools or vats must be formed for 
this purpose, and should not be over three 
feet deep, otherwise the hemp is liable to an 
unequal rot. It will require plank placed 
upon it weighted down with timbers or 
stones, in order to keep it well under water. 
In a communication addressed us on this 
subject, in April last, Mr. Myerle recom¬ 
mends vats 40 feet long, 20 feet wide, and 2 
feet deep, as best and the most convenient 
for the season, that the hemp is kept cleaner 
while rotting, and the hands can lay it down 
in the vats and take it out without getting 
wet, which is very important to the health 
of the laborer. These vats also greatly fa¬ 
cilitate the operation, and can be fed with 
water and have it run off at pleasure, with¬ 
out endangering loss from the hemp. Mr. 
Savage, of Kentucky, informed us when we 
visited his plantation on the bank of the 
Ohio, that he intended to water-rot his hemp 
this year, in a common scow or flat boat, 
with holes bored in the bottom, and sunk 
nearly to its top in the stream, which struck 
us as being a very simple and effectual 
method. 
Water-rotting in streams, requires a longer 
or shorter period, according to the season. 
In September, when the water is warm, ten 
days is' generally sufficient; in October, 
about fifteen, and in December, thirty days 
or more, for the latitude of Kentucky, 
October and November are considered the 
best months for the operation, and perhaps 
is easiest done, gives more lint, and upon the 
whole, as good a sample as if deferred later. 
Mr. Stevenson, of the Kentucky Common¬ 
wealth, was kind enough to send us a copy 
of his paper, in August, containing, among 
other communications on this subject, that 
of Mr. Van Sassen, of St. Petersburg, to our 
present minister to Russia, Colonel Todd ; 
and sent by him for publication, to the Hon. 
Mr. Linn, of the U. S. Senate. During a 
two years’ residence at St. Petersburg, we 
had the pleasure of being acquainted with 
Mr. Van S., and while there, procured the 
same information as he details, from the 
Russian hemp merchants of the interior of 
the Empire, where it is grown and prepared 
for market. We had not the opportunity of 
visiting those districts, nor should we think 
it very necessary now in order to obtain in¬ 
formation, as we are of opinion that the best 
and most enlightened practice for growing and 
preparing hemp for market in Kentucky, is 
in advance at present, of that of Russia; still, 
as Colonel Todd has been a practical hemp 
grower at home, there might be some advan¬ 
tageous suggested by Mr. Bufort, in his vi¬ 
siting the hemp districts of that empire, and 
making himself familiar, from his own obser¬ 
vation, of the details there to be communi¬ 
cated to his countrymen at home, of grow¬ 
ing and preparing this important agricultural 
product for market. We ought to be large 
exporters rather than importers of what we 
can so easily grow to an almost unlimited 
extent, on the fertile lands of the west. 
With the duty of $40 per ton on hemp, 
which is secured by the tariff recently pass¬ 
ed, and the very liberal price of $280 per 
ton our government seem willing to pay for 
the American water rotted, it is impossible 
our western farmers should not at once af¬ 
ford a supply to our own market. We re¬ 
spectfully ask our enlightened and enterpris¬ 
ing readers at the south and west, to look to 
it that public expectation on this subject be 
not disappointed. A diversion of labor from 
some other product for this object, will pro¬ 
duce a beneficial result in enhancing the price 
of the former, without diminishing the latter. 
