Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1823-10-25

Boy. american Farmer, and other
agricultural works, and combined with
the practical Information of the sub
sCriber.
HEMP.
Hemp is very hardy plant, resists
drought and severe frost, is easily cult
yated, less exhausting and more prof a.
bic than many other crops, with which
this does not interfere in its cult
walton except the tobacco crop. 1t is
sown before and gathered after corn and
requires no more attention than wheat.
Ii will grow every year on the same
ground, on which, if sufficiently rich, it
is the surest crop. Ii is liable to no dis
eases, and injured by no insects.
Tie Soil.
The soil should be deep, clean, dry,
rich, and mellow. The plant has Ia
per root, which descends to considera-
BILE depth, and therefore the soil should
be deep, and be thoroughly me!Iowed
by deep and frequent ploughings. Fall
ploughings, and two OF three pioughings
in the spring, together with narrowing,
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 preparatory steps
to the putting in of the seed.
The Seed, and 7phen SoqUu.
The seed Ito the amount OF two bush
els per acre on midding soil, and three
on rich ground) should be sown as early
as possible in the spring, after Tie ground
becomes dry and well prepared. Early
sowing renders the coat heavier ADD
stronger, enables the hemp 10 cover the
ground early, So as to smother weeds,
and to shade the soil and preserve lis
moisture. The seed, after being cast
as even as possible, should be narrowed
in TO as equal depth as may be, that il
may all art together, and heavy roller
should then be passed over, or brush
drawn across to smooth the surface, IN
order that the hemp may be cut close to
the roots.
Rneniag and Haryesting.
When The hemp becomes fl to be cut,
the stalks of The blossom or made hemp,
turn yellow, become good deal speck--
led, and drop most Of th..r leaves and
if the air is still, a cloud OF dust rises
from the blossom stalks, and hangs over
the field.
When sown early, it will be fit to cut
about the first of August The above
appearances will become Indie alive OF
the proper time; and then it should be
cut without delay: for if suffered to
stand longer Gas about one half bear
seed) the stalks of the male will wither
and blacken, and the coat be of but little
value; and the female hemp which has
stood to ripen the seed, requires longer
time to rot than the male, and conse-
1uently both would be thereby injured.
The best qvay TO get seed, zvould be to
sou some hiniy in a seharate fatch.
The mode OF cutting is preferable to tina,
Of pulling. A man will cut half an acre
per day, quarter pulled is said to be
days work BY the former practice the
inconvenience of dust, and the dirt at
tached to the roots will be avoided. Cut
hemp will be worth ten dollars a ton
more than the pulled. Knives or hooks
for that purpose, may be obtained for
about 81 Is cents each. When cut,
spread the hemp day or two to dry it;
then bind it and put it up in shocks.
Nretting or { R0tting.)
As soon as harvested, in order to pre-
vent the rains from discoloring it, pro-
coed as early as convenient to wret it, by
placing it in clean ture water, formed
by stream, spring, or clear pond. If
rotted shortly after cutting, about FIVE
days are generally required for the pur-
pose. You will be able to Judge by ia
king out handful and drying it; and if
the stalks 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 stalks by sub
stance which must be either wretted or
dissolved before they will separate pro-
duce the separation, and the work is &C.
complished. Experience will be the
best criterion. The water in which it is
retted should not run rapidly-as il would
in that case wash away the coat. You
may have three or four wagon loads Of
hemp to the depth of three or four feet,
e. 4 4