3^9 
Cultivation of Hemp. 
ground and plowed under, tend to lighten the 
soil, and as they decompose, become an 
equivalent to a light dressing of manure. 
If the hemp is not above seven feet high, 
it can be cut with cradle-scythes, similar to 
those used for wheat, (only larger and 
stronger,) at the rate of an acre per day ; 
but if above this height, hooks must be used 
full three inches wide, of a corresponding 
thickness, and about two and a half feet long, 
something in the shape of a brush scythe or 
sickle, attached to the end of a long and 
nearly straight snath, and with these, half an 
acre is considered a good day’s work. 
Just before being fully ripe for cutting, as 
we before remarked, the hemp presents one 
of the most splendid sights in nature; and 
is perhaps as rich and magnificent in appear¬ 
ance as the sugar cane full grown, or Indian 
corn in tassel. The figure below is a good 
representation. 
The Hemp Plant.—-(Fig. 26.) 
Drying and Securing. —As fast as cut, 
spread the hemp on the ground where it was 
grown, taking care to keep the butts even, 
when if the weather be dry and warm, it 
will be cured in three days. As soon as suf¬ 
ficiently dried, commence binding into con¬ 
venient sheaves, and if destined for water 
rotting, it ought to be transported to dry 
ground convenient to the pools, and then se¬ 
cured in round stacks, carefully thatched on 
the top to keep out the rain ; but if designed 
for dew rotting, it should be secured in the 
same field where grown in large ricks. The 
reason why these are to be prefered is, that 
less of the hemp in them is exposed to the 
weather, and of course the more and better 
the lint when it comes to be rotted and 
broken out. 
Ricking. —To make a good rick is an im¬ 
portant process, and for the whole manner 
we are indebted to an inspection of those on 
the plantation of Judge Beatty, and his re¬ 
marks to us upon them, which we noted 
down at the time, and in addition to this, 
we also quote occasionally from his Prize 
Essay. 
The ricks should be 30 to 40 feet long, and 
15 to 20 feet wide, the best foundation for 
which is large rails or logs laid down for the 
bottom course, six feet from each other, then 
lay across these, rails or poles one foot apart. 
Now as the hemp is bound in sheaves, let it 
be thrown into two rows, with sufficient 
space for a wagon to pass between. “ While 
the process of taking up and binding is go¬ 
ing on, a wagon and three hands, two to 
pitch and one to load, is engaged in hauling 
the hemp to the rick, and stacking it. The 
rick should be in a central part so as to re¬ 
quire the hemp to be removed as short a dis¬ 
tance as possible. Thus the process of tak¬ 
ing up, binding, hauling, and ricking, all pro¬ 
gress together. In this way five hands will 
put up a stought rick in two days and cover 
it. By having two wagons and ten hands, it 
may be accomplished in one day. It is pro¬ 
per to remark, that for making the roof of 
the rick, it is necessary to have long hemp, 
from which the leaves should be beat off. In 
this state only will hemp make a secure roof.” 
In laying down the hemp begin with the 
top ends of the bundles inside, and if they do 
not fill up fast enough to keep the inside of 
the rick level, add as occasion may require 
whole bundles. Give it a rounded eliptical 
form at each end, and as it rises it must be 
widened so as to make the top courses shel¬ 
ter the bottom ones, and after getting up 
about twelve feet high, then commence for 
the roof, by laying the bundles crosswise, 
within a foot of the edges of the rick, build¬ 
ing the top up roof-shaped, of a slope at an 
angle of about forty-five degrees. This finish¬ 
ed, for the covering of the roof lay up the 
bundles at right angles to its length, the butt 
ends down, and the first course resting on 
the rim of the rick as left all round, one foot 
