, 1842-05-21
From the New Genesee Farmer.
Culture of Hemp.

APP VI PoiN LIZ SVod sCSe, oAAo ~
be perfectly certain on this point, ev'
cry farmer will find it to his advaa
tage to grow his own. Hemp seeds
like all those containing oil, are vary
apt to heat and become unfit for seed
if kept over two years, and can
scarcely be preserved in "a state fit fol
Vegetation unless. spread on a'floor
and frequently stirred during the
summer months. The best way is to
grow in one year the seed which is
TO be sown the next. Judge B. re.
commends the richest ground for rails
ing hemp seed. Highly MANFRED land
is better than newly cleared land;
and old meadows, or land used a long
time for pasture, is good for this pur-
pose. Where turf land is used, it
should be plowed in the fall, and if
not rich, a dressing of manure should
be given. The ground must be fine
ly p~ulverized by plowng and harrow
ing, and then the seed may be plant
ed in hills, or sown in drills. The
first method is generally preferred, as
the after culture, cleaning the ground,
&C., is more easily performed when
the seed hemp is in hills than when
it is in drills, and the seed is thought
to be more perfect. 1t is common to
plant the hills five feet apart, to suffer
four or FIVE stalks to stand in i hill till
the blossom hemp is removed, and
then to reduce the number of stalks
to two in each hill. There are other
methods of planting; but the great
object is room for vigorous seed
plant; and whatever plan accomplish
es this, will succeed. The ground
must be kept clean by hoeings or
plowings. In order to give the seed
bearing plants room TO expand and
perfect their seed, it is necessary to
cut out the blossom OF male hemp;
but this cutting out must not be per-
formed too early or too rigidly, as the
pollen of these blossoms are necessary
to the perfection of the seed. Judge
b. recommends that as soon as the
seed hemp has so far advanced that
the blossom hemp can be readily dis
tinguished, it should all be cut cut ex-
cept one stalk in every other hill and
every other row. This will cur
a sufficient supply of pollen to fertll-
ize all the seed bearing plants, and
render the seed certain OF Vegetation.
After these male or blossom plants
have discharged their fertilizing dust,
they also may be removed, though
this is not essential, where only one
or two seed bearing plants are left in
each hill. The seed for plants, from
which seed is TO be grown, should be
sown as early as consistent with safe
ty to the young plants from frost.
In Kentucky the month Of April is
preferred; in our ATTITUDES the plant
ing must be later. Planted early, it
will be fit TO gather for seed in Sep
TENDER; and in cutting the plants,
they must be handled or shaken as
little as possible, as the seeds drop
easily. The plants may be careful
ly set up in shocks until dry nough
to thresh easily, whichmay be done on
a tight floor. either by striking the
plants on plank, or by beating with
a fail. The first method gives the
best seed. When threshed, the seed
should be cleaned at once, and then
spread out in some safe, dry shelter
until throughly dry, when it may be
put in barrels with open heads OF In
bags until wanted. Rats and mice
are very fond of hemp seed, and these
must always be garded against.
Judge Beatty says-'.Old seed will
not generally answer for sowing.
During the summer succeeding the
year in which it was reared, it goes
through a heat which destroys its ve-
getating powers. If, however, it
were to be spread out on a dry floor
before the commencement of hot
weather, and thus spread out during
the summer, there can be no doubt it
would answer for sowing the ensuing
year. But it is always safest not to
trust to old seed, without having first
tested it by planting certain num-
Der of seed, and thus ascertaining
how many will vegetate."
Preparation of the Ground. There
are few crops grown that require SO
complete a tillage and pulverization
of The ground as hemp. 1t must be
as thoroughly reduced, and made as
fine and as clean as possible; and the
hemp grower may usually expect his
crop will be in proportion to the care
and labor bestowed in fitting the soil
for the seed. The ground intended
for hemp Should be plowed deep in
the fall, or very early in the spring,
that it may have the benefit Of the
frost in %pulverizing the soil; and no