Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1842-06-03

smooth at the time Of sowing, very little lint
will be lost, as the hemp can be cut close to
the ground. Beside, the crop in handling will
be much cleaner. and cutting is vastly m,re
expeditions than pulling. which enables the
hemp grower, with the same number of hands,
10 greatly increase his crop, without danger
Of its suffering for want Of cutting or pulling.
| CURING THE HEMP.-On this point Judge
| B. remarks-"When hemp is cnt OF pulled, it
should be spread upon the ground, keeping
| the but ends even, and should be suffered to
lie till well cured; this will require week.
or somewhat less, if the weather is clear and
warm. Ii II get rain in the mean time, II
Will be an advantage, as II will cause the
| leaves more readily TO leave the stalk" Mr..
| Allen, who was extensively engaged in the
| hemp culture in Lewis county, in this State,
and who in 1882 received premium from the
| American Institute for The best specimen Of
| hemp, says--'.'The hemp when cults to remain
in the swath one day, and then is TO be turned
and remain another day, and on the third day
to be bound near the butt in very small bun
dies with small band Of the hemp. Then to
| be set up on the butts in shocks until it be-
comes perfectly dry" When thoroughly
dried, it may be put in ricks or stacks to re-
main till wanted for rolting. At the West,
ricks are preferred, because in this way of put.
ting up the hemp it is all secured against the
weather with the exception of the roof, (if this
! is formed of hemp) while in stacking. por-
| ton Of the hemp will always be more or less
exposed. Some hemp growers. after the hemp
is cured, sit it up in large shocks in the fields,
the tops secured by close bands. and butts rest
| ing on the ground. If hemp stands long in
this manner it is evident the butts must be par
| t;,llr, rot,od aud tho 0ufSidpS nj the
shocks will be more or less damaged. These
parts of the hemp when spread GU: for rotIng,
or when put in the watts, will bs spoiled before
| the protected parts are sufficiently roi,ad to
| produce good hemp.
| RoTTrNG AND GETTING OuT.-There are two
methods Of rot,ng hemp. One, by spreading
it on the ground. where it is exposed to rains
and dcws until the lint separates readily IRON
the stem; a process called dew roting. The
other is by sleeping the hemp in watts or pools
Of water until the same effect Of the separation
of lint is produced. These processes are con-
Quoted on the same principles, and for the
! same ends, as the fax rotting. with witch eve
nv farmer is acquainted. Grass ground, clean
pastures or meadows, have generally been
chosen for spreading hemp, where dew rotling
| is prac,iced; but some of the most successful
hemp growers Of the West, and among these
Judge B., now prefer spreading the hemp for
rot,ing on the same land that produced the
crop. The reasons assigned for this prefer
Aa The asG ss 6 hasns os he Oh hsine s
ground-the manure arising from the leaves,
&c., is saved, as it will be KEEP. on the ground
| the hemp rots quicker and more evenly than
on grass land-ihe ground is free from stock,
| and is benefited by being covered with the
ro,,ing hemp--and lastly, grass lands are in;
| nred by rot.ing hemp upon them. The fol-
| lowing directions for water rotting hemp are
| from The report Of Mr.. Allen, made 10 the In
s,itule: .'Vats are prepared near the mills, Of
| about six feet deep and eight feet wide: the
| length to be varied at pleasure, or the quan,i-
| ty 10 be rotted. The bundles of hemp are
then to be earthly laid in lengthwise until the
vat is full, and pressed down with any suffi-
cient weight to keep it solid. Water is then
| to be let in on the top until the vat is filled,
| and is TO remain for two days 10 saiurate the
mass, after which it is to be drawn off and
supply Of running water 10 be introduced until
the vat is filled, which is to run off continual
| ~ until the hemp is properly roited. The time
will depend on the temperature OF the water,
and will be from six to twenty days; the wa
ter is then let off, and after about eight hours
the hemp is to be taken out and set up on the
DuIlS In the u6Iu, dltcI OpCIIiS tHC ouhuOos
against a fence, or ropes running through stakes
fastened in The ground for that purpose. When
| perfectly dry it is bound and taken to dry
house where it is to be kiln dried for about
| two DAYS, from which it is 10 be taken to the
mills for breaking and dressing" We believe
that Euopean or Russian hemp is invariably
water rotied, which gives the fibre greater
depree Of uniformity than dew rolting can do.
and unquesionaby is one cause Of the superb
GRITTY Of the foreign article. In Russia, the
hemp is ro,:ed in pools formed in slightly run
ming brooks. the water Of which is exposed TO
| the sun, and acquires temperature favorable
| to speedy fermentation and rotting Of the
STEM Of the hemp. Whether in pools or watts,
the hemp must be wholly covered with water,
but il should not he so loaded with weights as
to press it closely upon the bottom. There is
a little difficulty in knowing when the hemp Is
sufficiently rotted. Judge B. says that when
this operation is sufficiently advanced. 1.-THE
stalks of the hemp lose that hard sticky APP
pearance or feel they retain I'LL tho process IS
completed. The lint also begins to separate
from the stalk, and the fibres will show them
selves somewhat like the strings OF fiddle
how. attached 20 the stalk at two distant
points, and separate in the middle. This IS a
certain indication that the hemp has good
| rot.''
Hemp is fitted for market by separating the
lint from the woody fibre, and its value is IN
no considerable degree depending on this pro-
cess of dressing. 1t is sometimes prepared
by hand in the same manner as fax; but this
is a slow and tedious operation, although the
quality of the ARTICLES usually good. Various
machines for breaking and cleaning hemp have
been pu. in operation in dfferen. parts OF the !,
country, ard have materially lessened the Ia
bor Of preparing this crop for market. Which
i the best or most approved, we have no