Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1841-05-22

men anu nall deep. Twelve or fifteen |
seed should be dropped in each hill, which
should be somewhat scattered to prevent |
them from being too much crowded in
the hill. Though good hemp seed is certain
to come up, yet is is prudent to plant about |
the number suggested to guard against
casualties. Soon after the hemp seed
comes up. small shovel plough should be
run through, both ways once in row. If
the ground is not foul, the ploughing NAV
be delayed till the hemp is few inches
high, which will enable the ploughman to
avoid throwing the dirt on the tender
plants. The hoes should fellow the second
ploughing, and clean away the weeds, if
any, in or near the hill, and thin out the
hemp to seven or eight stalks. These should
be the most thrifty plants, and somewhat
separated from each other. The ploughing
should be repeated, from time 10 time, so
as to keep the ground light and free from
weeds. And when the plants are about
foot or foot and half high, the hoes
should again 60 over the ground and care
fully cut down any weeds or grass which
may have escaped the plough. The plants
should be still further thinned out. at this
time, leaving but four in hill, and some
81,
to cover any small weeds that NAV have
come up around them. After seed hemp
has attained the height of foot and half,
1t will soon be too large to plough, but it
ought to have one ploughing after the
last hoeing. The ground, by this time,
will have become so much shaded by the
hemp plants as to prevent the weeds from
growing, so as to do any injury, and moth
ing more need to be done but for bow to
follow the plough and Gf three and half
feet be the distance of the hills apart,) re-
duce the number of plants invariably to
three, taking care TO remove those which
the last ploughing may have broken or
injured, by the treading of the horse or
otherwise.
The next operation will be to cut out the
blossom or male hemp. This, according to
the opinion of some farmers, should be
done as soon as the blossoms begin to
show, in order to make room for the seed
hemp to grow and spread its branches.
This opinion must be taken with some al
lowance. The farina or pollen of the
male hemp is necessary to fertilize the seed
bearing plants. The seed of the latter
would be wholly unproductve, if the
Uhole Of the male hemp should be cut be-
fore its pollen has been thrown out. IF
those farmers who cut their blossom hemp
at the first moment it can be distinguished
from the seed bearing plants, do not en-
tirely destroy their seed, it is because many
blooming plants escape, in consequence Of
their not having shown their sex at the
time the blossom hemp is cut, or because
adjacen, hemp fields may have furnished
a sufficient quantity Of pollen to fertilize,
at least in part, the seed bearing plants 1t
is important to cut the male hemp so soon
as it has performed its Office. because much
room is thereby afforded to the seed bear
ing plants to spread their branches.
The following course might be pursued
with advantage. When the seed hemp has
so far advanced as to enable one readily to
distinguish the male from the female plants,
let all the blossom hemp be cut out, except
one stalk in every other hill, and every
other row. This would leave one stalk of
male hemp for every four hills. These,
together with the stalks which should there
after blossom, would be sufficient to fertil-
ize all the seed bearing plants, and secure
a crop of perfect seed. After the blossom
plants, thus left, have been permitted to re-
main until they have pretty well discharged
their pollen (Which can easily be ascer-
tanned by dust ceasing to flow from them
when agitated) they, also, should be cut
down. Some farmers top the seed plants,
when five or six feet high, to make them
branch more freely. but this is not necessary
where but one or two seed bearing plants
are suffered to remain in each hill.
Hemp seed should be planted early in the
month of April. Eearly planting sue
ceeds BEST If the ground is in proper
condition, it may be planted even as early
as the middle of March. Hemp is hardy
plant, and will not as supposed by some, be
injured by frost. 1t is also an error to sup
pose seed hemp should not be cut before it
receives slight frost. If planted early, it
will be fit to cut from the first to the fif-
teenth of September and there is no me-
cessity to wait for frost. On the contra
ry, it is better to cut before it receives any
frost, because the seeds drop out by hand
ling much more easy after it has received
frost than before, and consequently there
will be greater waste. In cutting the seed
plants, care should be taken to agitate them
as little as possible, as the seeds drop out
very easily when they are ripe. A sharp
hemp hook, of circular form, is the best
instrument for cutting seed hemp. The
operator should grasp the stalk in one hand,
and bend it gently towards him, and with
the other should place the blade of the
hemp hook against the stalk, about foot
from the ground. and by gentle pull the
stalk will be cut transversely, with but
little agitation. The stalks should be laid