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bottom of the river be sand, gravel or miid, three 
good strong stakes must be driven down at each 
end, above and below, and three long strong poles 
must be laid on the hemp and fastened well to the 
stakes, in such manner as to force down the hemp 
under water, where it remains till it be rotted 
enough ; though if a muddy stream could be avoid¬ 
ed it would be best, because it is apt to foul and 
stain the hemp. If the bottom of the stream be 
rocky or stony, so that stakes cannot be drove 
down to secure the hemp under water and from 
floating away, then a rough wall must be made at 
the lower end of the hemp, and along the side to 
keep it in, and strong poles or rails must be laid 
upon the top of the hemp, and pretty heavy stones 
upon them so as to sink the hemp under water, 
tvhere it must lie till it be rotted enough. ^ 
What hemp is intended for seed, should be 
sowed on a piece of ground for itself, which must 
be made very rich and strong; it must be sowed in 
ridges six feet wide, and the seed must be of the 
largest and best sort and sown very thin, at the rate 
of a peck upon an acre, or rather six quarts; for 
the thinner it is sown, the more it branches, and 
the more seed it bears ; it should be sown sometime 
the middle of April, and then the seed will not be 
ripe till some time after the other hemp is done 
with. If you have no convenient place to sow your 
seed hemp by itself, then sow a border of six feet 
/ wide along the north and west sides of your hemp 
field ; the reason of sowing your seed hemp in such 
