Cultivation ©f Hemp. 
993 
Russia clean commands from $210 to $215 
pe r cwt., dew rotted is quite unsaleable. It is 
not worth while to sow it upon any land that 
will grow less than 50 bushels of corn per 
acre, and such as will produce from 70 bush¬ 
els and above, is still better adapted to it. In 
Kentucky their best quality of land is set 
aside for hemp, leaving the inferior soils for 
corn, the smaller grains, and grass. 
Hemp is not considered by many who have 
cultivated it, an impoverisher of the soil, in- 
as much as by proper management, it derives 
most of the food necessary to its growth 
from the atmosphere ; and by drying, rotting, 
and breaking it on the ground where pro¬ 
duced, it is contended that more is returned 
to the soil than is taken away, and as evi¬ 
dence of this, it is asserted, that lands after 
being 13 to 19 years in hemp without a 
single season’s cessation, gave in their last 
products, the heaviest and best crops; and 
this course can be continued till the planter 
is forewarned by a falling off in the yield, 
that the soil must be renovated before pro¬ 
ceeding further. This is easily done by 
sowing it to clover and rye pastures, and 
then feed them off for a few seasons with 
stock, a longer or shorter number, as the 
land may demand rest and renovation. This 
is a very simple rotation, and may also be 
varied according to soil and situation, with 
manure, and corn, and root crops. Valuing 
the land at $30 per acre, and including inte¬ 
rest on it at this rate, taxes and all other ex¬ 
penses, it costs about $3 to $3 50 per cwt. 
to raise hemp, and the growing of it when 
sold near home at $4 per cwt., is considered 
as profitable as corn at 30 cts. per bushel. 
Latitude of Cultivation .—Hemp may be 
profitably grown in America from 35° to 42° 
of north latitude ; we have seen it cultivated 
on the borders of Canada, as high up as 43°, 
and understand it has been tried as far south 
as 33° the past season. In Canada it proved, 
from the shortness of the season, a stunted 
crop, and not so valuable as most other farm¬ 
ing products. In Mississippi it interfered 
with the gathering of the cotton, and upon 
the whole did not realise as much per acre; 
we may consider, therefore, that the best 
climate for hemp in this country, is from 37° 
to 40°, and in making our observations upon 
its cuLture, reference will be had more parti¬ 
cularly to these parallels. 
Soil .—The best soil for hemp is a rich 
light vegetable loam, of at least one foot 
depth; not abounding too much in sand, as 
that would prove too dry for a good crop in 
general seasons; nor should it have too great 
an admixture of clay, as that will prevent its 
pulverising and working freely, and above 
all make it too retentive of moisture. Fresh 
manured ground is not considered so good, 
as it generally makes too coarse a growth of 
the hemp ; nor is newly cleared land from 
the forest so suitable on account of its rough¬ 
ness and unevenness, and such as has car¬ 
ried a preceding corn crop is rather to be 
avoided, in consequence of the roots of the 
stalks being somewhat in the way of cutting 
the hemp close, the first year of its cultiva¬ 
tion. A grass or clover ley, especially when 
fed off by sheep, is greatly to be preferred; 
above all the clover, on account of its deep 
tap roots penetrating the ground, and filling 
it with vegetable matter, the best of all food 
for a hemp crop. 
Preparation of Ground .—The field for cul¬ 
tivation should be plowed deeply in the fall 
or early part of winter, and left in a rough 
state, so as to have the benefit of the frosts, 
which tend materially to pulverize the 
ground, and make it work the more freely 
the following spring. This also throws open 
the cut worm, and most other insects which 
are great enemies to the hemp crop, and sub¬ 
jects them to be destroyed by the severity 
of winter. When this is done all stock 
ought to be shut off the field, for wherever 
they tread they harden the ground and make 
it lumpy. In performing the fall operation, 
some even trench the ground, which is easily 
done by letting a sub-soil plow follow in the 
same furrow directly after the common 
plow. If this be not at hand, a common 
plow will answer nearly the same purpose as 
a sub-soil plow, by taking off the mould 
board and leaving the point of the share alone 
to do the work. 
If the soil prove friable and work freely, 
one plowing and one good harrowing will be 
sufficient in the spring, if not, it will require 
two, for it is very essential that the tilth be 
well pulverised and fine. 
Time of Sowing .—Hemp will not stand 
hard frosts, and the 10th of April, therefore, 
is considered as early as it may be safely 
sowed to ensure a good growth; fair crops 
have been realised sown as late as the 10th 
of June ; but this is precarious, and the best 
time in ordinary seasons, is considered to be 
from the 1st to the 15th May, when the earth 
has become well warmed and vegetation 
shoots rapidly. On fresh sod ground, where 
worms and insects are feared, it might be 
safe to put off sowing till the 20th of May ; 
and in putting in the crop, if a large one, it 
is necessary to vary the time a little, so as 
