The Wheeling repository — Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.], 1807-07-16 00:00:00, page 4

be little, benefited by their display.——
When we meet with modes in savage
life strongly marked by absurdity or
folly, let us reflect, before v.Te plume
ourselves on our own superior refine
ment and civiliz ition,and ask ourselves
ii tvs have nothing left to correct.
Learn to stand more in awe cf thyself
than of other?.
Dignity does not consist in possessing
honours, but in dos■•wing them.
—l.
CTJL H V \TION OF HEMP.
[As H t-inp is an article much wanted, j
and but little attended to in this part of
the country, a Friend has furnished us
with a copy oi the following observations
and directions respecting it, for publica
tion in the Repository. They were writ
ten by Mr. Lang, Rope-maker, of Red
stone, and published in the Western Te
legraphe, four or live years ago.—We
hope these observations and directions
wiil receive attention from car farmers
and that they will find them useful.]
Hemp, the most profitable article cul
tivated m Kentucky, sells there lor three
pence per lb. while with us, although for
7 years past, hemp, clean and merebanta
bl has not sold under sixpence, our
rope-makers frequently advertising a
generous price for it, ancl this year pay
*ji4 eij-uL icms ; aunougn no article cul
tivated is so pre fiiablt, no soil nor cli
mate more suitable for its culture—still
o.-.r infant ropc-manufactories are star v
ed by its scarcity ! Several thousand
dollars value in cordatp , imported over
?he mountains and from Ken tuck”', the
last year, could and would have been sup
■ piied by our rope-makers, if wt had du
ly estimated the culture of hemp. That
drain of money might have been prevt
4 d ; and both hemp and cordage v/oul 1
h r. o become articles ol export, instead
ei import t > this cou urv.
But, conceiving that this improvi lence
has arisen only from general lark of
i-.ioyl dgc c i the modern methods of
cultiv ating hemp, of its extensive use,
supt raj vu’.U' , an 1 m.a ket lor it, the fol
lowing curetf.ous are respectfully sub
joined, tn it per. on* ot information and
cxpci lence any ko induced to publish
suitable con eciions and amendments for
f.ihe lene.u, and industrious farmers
make experiments for their own advan
tage ; for this is n > cotton climate ;_fl .x
frequently iails ; hemp, th »ugh surest,
is neglected. rue great deman 1 an J
high price for linen, ought surely to be
i;o linger disr< g irJeJ.
To Insure the profitable production of
hemp, lit to be manufactured, into goo 1
linen, cordage, lines, and twine for fish
eries, Ike. good soil, not shady ; careful
attention to modern methods of season
aide and suitable cultivation; to gather
ing and securingthe seed; and to the cut
ting, rotting, and cleaning the hemp, are
necessary.
The most approved mode of raising
good seed ; is to plant in very rich soil,
(like Indian corn) lour or five grains of
seed in each hill; hoe it in the like man
ner till the male hemp is distinguishable
lrora the female ; then cut the female
hemp, leaving the male growing till pro
perly ripe ; these will grow remarkably
lar ge, branch and bear seed abundantly ;
preserving it from fowls, 1 irds, rats, ccr.
requires continual attention ; and seed
gathered in tire fall should be sowed the
ensuing spring. Older seed when sow
ed S' 1 lorn thrives well, but sometimes
answers to plant for seed hemp.
To raise good hemp, prepare ground
in the fall, by la\ ingSc spreading equally,
well rotted dung or lime upon it, suitable
to ts need ; St plough it down if possible
nelore winter ; early the following spring
cross plough and harrow, so that no clod
larger than a man’s fist remain; and era.
ilu-r, (or carry off the ground) all the
stones, logs, he. that might obstruct the
i?rr >vih and cutting. As soon as a mode
rate dry bed ;an be given to the eed, not
iati r (weath- r permitting) than the first
week in April, sow at least two, and not
exceeding three buslu-ls ofsuch seed, to
ail acre, proportioned to the richness of
tV soil, and harrow it in carefully ; a
bou*: the first of June look for yellow
spurs on tlic stalks, about an inch from
the root«, and leaves near these dropping
off ; and as soon as dir.Lor blossoms fiv
tro-, 1 the crop of the female in m:>, the
'• hoi.- should be cut (bring sulfur mlv
tipe i) pulling is nov tot ally c<*.d. mu
cd ; and one man will cradle as much as
, ten can pull in the same day*
! The cutting is commonly best d me
bv a short Dutch scythe, and cradle pro
portioned to the height of the h.-mp,
uiiich, when so cut, is easily lai 1 equal
•- t the root end, ready ((.r lindiug.
Some mow it with i common scyilic ,
more hands are then wanted to lay the
foots even : others reap it with a r,;ron >
sharp siekV. Wli n cut and equalled^
,'u ’ 1 11 -'V , ab >ut the thi< 1
of a man’s thigh ; and immedia* ly ha d '
it to a pond or pliuc prvpar d for rotd: g |
tne slaves or cotes of the ualks. Such *
ponds should be made in sprlngruns of*
soft water, (or places not very liable to
be flooded) by clearing and cleaning the
sides and bottoms, and building tight
d.uns across, oi stones and clay or an/
suitable materials, in size or number
proportioned to the quantity of henrn
intended for that operation, and so plan*
ned that the running water may be turn
ed from the pond at pleasure.
Vv hen the hemp is to be put into the
pond, some wheat or oat straw should
be laid first in the bottom, under the
hemp, and at the sides, to keep the
lump iroin the earth, and over the hemp,
to keep it as clean as possible ; and
something weighty should be laid over
the whole, sufficient to keep all under
the water: tin n U t the water fill ihe pond,
and cover the whole until it runs over
the dam. In three days, and usually not
exceeding six, (weather and water suit
j mg) the cores or slaves will be suifici- ^
I <- ’“-y rotted; but this, after the first three
da\ is known by taking a sheaf each
morning, drying and breaking it; and
must rest, principally on the judgment
vd the experienced farmer.
i he hemp is better il somewhat too
much rather than too little rotted ; thus
it breaks and cleans easily; otherwise it
i:s difficult to clean: if loo much rotted*
keeping i:i stack or house, one year or
more, will restore its proper strength.
W hen rotted, take the sheaves out of
the pond, drawing the bands of each to
wards th top; set it upright on its root
end,.spread circularly wide, on any field
adjoining the pond. Let women and
children attend and k< ep these sheaves
upright and open: in two days they will
become dr ■: to complete this, turn the
sheaves inside on?, and set them up a
gajn m the s un. :n inner as before : the
third u iv w d perfect the drying, so that
the sheave , may he finally bound up,
ready, f r ‘-ti ck mg, housing, or break
ing and cleaning.
As yvt# there an no mill; in this coun
tiy suitable for breaking and cleaning
tlie hemp ; advert, therefore, to modes
ot cl< aning hi.herto practised with hemp
and llax. Some u-c two breaks, a coarse
at* 1 a fine , others use one break only,
bat that made long, wide and course at
1 ■ • - hii.ge en l, and tapering to the upper
'n-i it ii as fine or as close as a fine
•' i' . Wh*.n lump is cut and rotted as
'• 'OVe din cti !, one man will break and
' *' ,r* as much in one day, as fourcan do* $
"hen hot sufficiently rotted. Winn
plenty cf lump is rained^ suitable null*