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fall oiT. If let stand too long, the male hemp dies^ 
the stalk turns blackish, and will yield but little 
coat. When the hemp is fit for cutting, the instru^ 
ment made use of for that purpose is called a hemp- 
hook. It is made by our common blacksmiths^ 
something shaped like a sickle, but not so crooked^ 
the edge is smooth, and ought to be made of the 
best of steel; the blade is better than an inch 
broad, made thin, and holds its width to the pointo 
There is a small set of about an inch, just where 
the tine is formed, that goes into the handle, in or¬ 
der to set the edge a little lower, to prevent the 
cutter from being obliged to stoop too much in the 
act of cutting. There is a considerable art in cut¬ 
ting hemp, which is acquired by use. The hemp 
is cut close to the ground, and supported and gath¬ 
ered with the left arm, and the length of the knife 
across the swath generally collects enough to spread 
at a time, which is carefully done by the cutter in 
the manner you spread fiax when pulled. If the 
weather proves dry, the hemp will get dried through 
in 6 or 8 days, and then is forked up into small 
bundles about the size of rye sheafs, and bound 
with the hemp, and then carefully stacked in the / 
field until about Christmas, when it is opened and 
carefully spread on the snow, and if a foot deep the 
better, and by other snows falling on it, it is bleach¬ 
ed, and makes the hemp appear of a bright silver 
color when dressed. When the snows dissolve, in 
the month of March, the hemp will generally be 
found sivfiiciently rotted, and must then be taken 
