Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1822-11-02
AGNICUATURAA.
From the Buffalo Patriot.
HEMP.

hemp IS very Marcy PAM, TeSiSts
drought and severe frosts, is easier cult
waited, less exhaus,ing, and more profia-
Bile than many other crops, with which
this does not interfere in its cultivation
(except the tobacco crop.) 1t is sown
before, and gathered after corn, and re-
quires no attention when wheat is sown,
harvested or threshed. 1t will grow year
after year on the same ground, on which
il sufficiently rich, it is the surest crop.
II is liable to no diseases, and injured by
no insect.
The Soil-The soil should be deep,
clean, dry, rich and mellow. The plant
has sap root. which descends to con-
siderable depth, and therefore the soil
sbo. Id be deep, and be thoroughly mel,
lowed by deep and frequent pioughings.
Fall ploughing, and two or three plough.
ings in the spring, together with harrow
ing SO as to smooth the surface, (and
thereby enable the seed to be sown even.
and the hemp to spring up equally and
be cut close to the roots,) are preparato-
ry steps to putting ir the seed.
The seed, and svhen sozvn.-The seed
Ito the amount OF two bushels per acre
on middling soil, and three on rich
ground should be sown as early as pos
sible in the spring, after the ground be-
comes dry and well prepared. Early
sowing renders the coat heavier and
stronger, enables the hemp to cover the
ground early so as to smother weeds, and
before the sun becomes powerful to
shade the soil and preserve its moisture.
The seed after being cast as even as pos
sibe, should be narrowed in to as equal
q depth as may be. that il may all starr
toge,her-and heavy roller should then
be passed over, or bush drawn across
to smooth the surface, in order that the
hemp may be cut close 10 the roots.
Rihening and harvesting.-When the
hemp becomes fiji 10 be cul, the stalks OF
the blossom or male hemp, turn yellow,
become good deal speck led, and drop
most OF their leaves, and ii the air is
still, cloud of dust arises from the bios
50 a, stalks and hangs over the field
B When sown early it will be iii 10 cut
ahou, the first Of August. The above
appearances will become indicative OF the
proper time; and then it should be cut
without delay, for il suffered TO stand
longer Gas about one half OF the stalks
blossom, and the other half bear seed)
Ne stalks of the male will wiiher and
blacken, and the coat be OF little value /;
and The female hemp, which has stood 10
ripen the seed, requires longer time to
rot than the male, and consequently both
would be thereby injured. The best
way TO get seed, would be TO sow some
thinly, in separate patch. The mode
of cutting is preferable to that OF pulling.
A man will cut half an acre per day, and
q quarter pulled is said to be days
work. By the former practice the To-
convenience of dust, and the dirt attach
cd to the roots will be avoided. Cut
hemp will be worth ten dollars ton
more than the pulled. Kuives rhooks
for that purpose may be obtained
When cut, spread the hemp day or
TWO to dry it; then bind it and put il up
In shocks.
Wrettins Tor rotting JAS soon as
harvested, in order to prevent the rains
from discolouring it, proceed as early as
convenient to wret it, by placing it in
clean, pure water, formed by a spring,
stream or clear pond. II rol.ed shortly
after cutting, about five days are general
y required for the purpose. You will
Sc able to Judge by taking out handful
and drying it, and if the stalk or shives
will shake out and separate easily from
the bark, leaving it clean and entire, the
process of wretting is completed.-The
bark or lint Of hemp is connected with
the stalk by substance which must be
pither wretted or dissolved before they
will separate; produce the separation,
and the work is accomplished. Expe-
silence will be the best criterion. The
water in which it is rotted should not Gun
1apidly-as it would in that case wash
awav IN. c.... You may have three or
four wagon loads OF hemp to the depth
Of three or four feet, sunk at the time,
but it should be completely submerged,
though not suffered 10 touch the bottom.
lfseparate quantities are put in on seve-
ral successive days, the days aud quanti-
ties should " noted, for the purpose Of
asccrtaining which becomes 6rst wret-
ted, and which should therefore be first
FIX en- ur,-Enr Is left in the ~ ater a 'dav