Fowle's New Hampshire Gazette And General Advertiser

Agriculture.

[From Mr. Varlo's new System of
HUSBANDRY.]

The Management of Hemp.

HEMP is a crop that requires good, rich, deep,
well tilled land, a loamy clay is the best, though
if inclined to sand it will do.—The ground being
well tilled and cleared of any stones, or rubbish, and
the mold made fine, the next thing is to sow the seed
early in the Spring, at the rate of two bushels an acre.
After it is sown harrow it once in a place. Hemp
generally grows so quick, and with so bushy a full-top,
that it mostly smothers any weeds that may attempt to
grow among it.

There are two sorts of hemp male and female,
which distinguishes itself when in blossom: the male
grows with a much grosser stalk than the female, has
a bushy top, and bears the seed; the female has a
small stalk, and when nearly ripe turns to a greenish
yellow, has a taper top, whereon grows much blossom,
but never produces any seed.

Some people pull both male and female together, as
soon as the female turns yellow, which it will do before
the male seed is ripe and while it is a dark green and
water them both together, without regarding the seed.
This will make a white fine hemp fit for cloth, and is
attended with the least trouble but is not the most profitable. The next and most profitable method is, to
pick out all the female hemp as soon as ripe, and water
it by itself, letting the male stand for seed. which will
take above a month longer before it is ripe, and which
in England generally brings it near Michaelmas, tho
in America, it is ripe much sooner.

When the male is ripe it must be pulled and tied in
sheaves close under the head with a band of weeds or
straw, and then set up in round stools, the heads prop-
ing together, a dozen sheaves in a stool and let it
stand till the seed is hard and dry, so that it will thresh
out freely.

When threshed it must be tied with two straw bands
in sheaves about eight inches diameter, and put in rows
in the water; when it has laid three or four days turn
it with a fork, which is easily done, as it swims on the
surface of the water in rows.

There is no certain time can be fixed for either this
or any other sort of hemp, or flax, lying in the water,
for if the weather be hot it will be done in half the
time that it will, if cold, therefore all must be ruled by
the managers judgment, and the best way for him to
know, is to take a little out and dry it, which when
dry. if the bun, or stalk, break without bending, and
the bark, or skin, peel off freely it is enough watered.
Take it out and dry it by setting it up in single sheaves,
which will stand very well if the head be kept tied.
and the root-end be spread round propping-wise, leaving
a hollow in the middle; this hemp is generally peeled
by hand in single stalks; it may be done by women
or children, for which in England the price is two
pence a stone.

The male or peeled hemp is used for making coarse
ropes, cables, &c. But the female, or white hemp is
braked and swingled like flax, and generally manufac-
tured into sail cloth, strong sheeting, &c.

(To be continued.)