Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-10-28

Il
nough to yield great crop. The plant de-
ponds chiefly on long tap root, furnished
with few fbrous roots; the tap root penc-
trates to a considerable depth, and conse-
| quentiy requires deep soft soil, and deep
and thorough cultivation.
=. 2.-NFhether its being wet is an adyan-
| tagc or disadvantage,
| III learned very early that wet land did
not suit hemp, and my experience coplir-ns
the tact SO entire is the conviction ON this
point where both hemp md fla. are c,itiva-
ECU, tnat max III the water and hemp in the.
IRE has become an agricultural dare
| q. 3.-At what time is it best to sow hemp
seed and whether it would answer to sow in
the fall. as i have been informed has been
done in Virginia.
| N-Ihe usual time of sowing west of the
mountains, whence Icbraned all the inforrna-
uon possess excepting what I have acauir-
cd by the practice of three years, Is from
/ the 18TH of April 60 the 10Th Of Nav. The
month OF April is there esteemed Ii. best
tnie tor sowing, and, in that climate il NAV
oe, out, In this part OF the country, the moAth
OF March is preferable The best crops
nave made, were sown in March. Last wear
the early sowing Was considered the worst
hemp until the crop was broken, when il
appeared that the bark of the late soWn was
much lighter, although the hemp was taller.
Inc spring OF 1910 was more unfavorablc
TO spring crops than we have ever known.
| orr land was never wet from TIE 1st of Nav
Til the 2Oth June. and if after such sea son,
early sown hemp proved better than that la he
sown, its superiority in common years, will
not be Questioned. The advantages of ear
iy sowing are not confiYsd to the single cir
cumstancc fproducins Superior bark. but by
having an early growth it smolhers all other
l a nd
very powerful, covers the ground, shades it,
and preserves its moisture. l have never
known hemp seed to be sowu in the fall, and
am therefore unable to say whether it would
answer OF not, but in sowing early land that
hao been IN hemp TIE preceding year, have
{ always found some volunteer hemp of con-
siderable height which must have sprane from
seed, accidentally, scattered the fall Before.
VI this am certain that hemp is a very har-
dy plant, and that frost, 20 Kill it, must be
very severe. i cannot however assert that
1t would stand the winter, but am persua-
aea that II 1t would, the crop would be su-
| perlor to spring sown crop. My choice is
to SOW as early as possible, after the danger
OF the frost is over. will take the liberty Of
adding to my answer to this query, my OPT
mon, that no plant requires the land to be
more thoroughly and perfectly prepared it
, should be broken at least ten or twelve inch
{ es IN depth, and be loose and fine before it is
{ sown: effect this by trench ploughing in
, the tall, and plough at least twice after
wards; myiastoperation, previous to seeding,
is to harrowthe ground. in order that the seed
fInay be sowii on a surface perfectly smooti.
and level, which enables the scotsman to dis
tribute it equally; then plough It in, andin
that state the land is left. When Common
: ced the culture, my practice was to harrow
, III the seed, but abandoned it on observing,
that the land was more apt to bake in the
smooth order it was left by the harrow, than
IN the state which the plough leaves it,
When rain fell before the seed. came up,
on ground that had been narrowed, observ-
} ed crust had been formed on the surface,
through which the tender sprcut could not
penetrate, and which forced il 90 turn down
in that situation many plants persisted. Ionce
had sowing of eight or ter acres, on which
! knew seed enough had been put, made tee
} thin from the cause mention.
For the same reason, hemp is more easily
pulled after the plough than the harrow
land that is narrowed being found closer and
harder than that on which the last operation
S was with the plough. Farmers differ in OPT
S mon as to the quantity of seed that onghttobe
sown; five pecks to the acre, is however
. more generally approved of than any other
: quantity; concur with this opinion in the
: main, but upon old or very foul land have
sown six pecks advantageously. 1t appear.
G to be universally admitted that the crop i,
i not injured by sowing too much; that only Sc
b MANY plants will rise as the land will bear
S and that the waste of superfuous seed is tht
e sole loss to be apprehended. IF this be true
: land nothing but the concurrent assertion o
I all the hemp makers have convcrsed Will
: could convince me of tlre {act) il is certainl,
- better, always TO give too much seed, and BY
II this you will be secured likewise from the "a
% wages of birds, worms, &c. ] never saw
: thin crop of hemp, that was good<---Il
Is crop Of hemp, about one half Of the stalk
: bloom, and the other half bear the seed
IS And the following are tho indications offs be
e ing fit TO pull. The stalks Of the blossom o
il male hemp. turn yellow, become good dea
, specklcd, and drop most OF their leaves, ant
lie when the air is still, a very percsptible clou
C, Of dust rises from the blossom stalks, an,
ID hangs over the field. When ripe the soone
ct it is pulled the better. As 1t is pulled, it
80 to be laid in rows as thin aspossiblc over tn
land on which it grows 4; after being prett
te well cured ON the ground, IL must be boun
ut into sbeaves with some of the shorter hem
N and put UP in shocks open at tho bottom, i
* which state il should remain. until sufficient
&c ly cured 10 be put into large stacks q
rioks, when It should be removed to the Ian
be on which II IS to be dew rotted. The stack
at or ricks should be so constructed rs % e.