C 224 3 
rotted in running water, as in a brook or river 5 
and in such water three or four days and nights are 
sufficient, according to the weather. To know 
whether the hemp be rotted enough, in either case, 
take a middling handful, out of the middle row, 
and try with both your hands to snap it asunder ; if 
it breaks easy, it is rotted enough, but if it yet ap¬ 
pears pretty strong, it is not, and must lie longer, 
till it breaks with ease, and then it must be taken 
out and dried as soon as possible ; in handling the 
sheaves, take hold of the bands, and set them up on 
end against a fence, if one be near, or lay them 
dow^n upon the grass, for the w^ater to drain off, 
and then unbind them carefully, open and spread 
them to dry thoroughly; then bind them up again 
and house them in a dry tight place : The reason 
of handling the hemp in this careful manner is, that 
when it is well rotted, whilst it is wet the lint comes 
off with the least touch, therefore if it be handled 
roughly, or if, whilst it is wet, it be thrown into a 
cart, and carried to a distance to be unbound and 
dried, it would be greatly hurt, and the owner 
would receive great damage by it, but when it is 
dry, it is handled with safety. 
. If the hemp be rotted in a brook or running 
water, the sheaves must be laid across the stream, 
for if they be laid down lengthways with the stream 
the current of the water will wash away the lint and 
ruin the hemp ; It must be laid down heads and 
points, two, four or six thick, according to the 
depth.of the water and the quantity'of hemp ; if the 
