, 1843-09-16
From the Louisville Journal.
Hints to Hemp Growers

III
mo hemp is ever year becomingy 4
Of deeper interest to the people OF
the West. And it is the wish OF the
undersigned 10 make a few remarks
70 the public, on the best method OF
preparing hemp for general use
Truth on all subjects is simple, and
trv nv pl ans before you condemn
Wien hemp is cut it should, if pos,
sit,e. be putup without receiving any
rain. and be kept dry, and in as good
rnndi,ion as careful farmers keep
,hoir bay. If we desire a good artl-
cIo we must handle it well from the
Lorirninc. Hemp shouM dl'c"yS be
,~rgfer-rCHel. and 1t StouH be dried IN
tLe ,Lo3e. This will lend to make 1t
soft, fair. and Of 4 beautiful texture.
have no doubt but the ordinary
way Of water-rotting hemp is unheaI-
,hy. Fish die in the pools where it
i nIaced. and those who handle it
ara often sick. Bya very simple
and specdv process would avoid this
nrrbans entirely. In the process |
use lime. ashes. and salt. which tend
- counteract that mIaSmatic ctiinvI-
nm which produces sickness, and al
81 nrnmo.e materially the process OF
ro,tinr. or. more properly speaking
of seypring the fibre from the stalk.
md conduce to the beauty and elias
t;ritv Of the material. As Il very sian.
rle and convenient procession water
Iot,inC hemn. | would recommend
the following: Let your floor be m
cliped say two degrees. just sufficient
IN carry off readily the water and
filth which viii drain from the hemp;
tf,an rinse Dur END wall at an angle
nf ,hi,ry five DEGREES; lean against
rhIs val! a Iavor of hemp from eight
tpiwelve inches in thickness; place
between this aud the next layer OF
hemp. Il permanent PARTITION oil mar
row boards or strips. 10 prevent the
snacps from closing up and allowing
the hemn Ia press one layer against
apnther: il must be kept open: and
thus proceed until lie room shall oe
covered o. filed. The room must
then he closed all around and cover.
ed over. either with hemp or Pe'iora'
ted boards that will let IN water tree
IT,. Now over this covering mus
be spread say two bushels OF lime
two bushels of strong wood ashes
and one of salt to a ton OF hemp; the
whole then slowly but regularly wa
tered until the hemp is perfectly wet
ted. After this the water must b'
applied twice or thrice q day until th'
hemp is r~o;ted-which IN warn
weather will require a day and a hal
or two DAYS. The inclined position
of the hemp and Of The floor will dram
Off all the filth and wafer, and. alde'
bv the lime and salt, the whole vii
be comparatively healthy. 1t will b
important 10 guard against rottIng to,
much. This is 4 common failure II
the management Of our hemp, whic.
never fails to deprive it OF weight
strength, and con scqueut Durability
BY this process, hemp in the warmcs
weather NAV he rotted in thIrty-sI
hours, and therefore it will be impoI
tant to examine il BY drawing on
and driving 4 few stalks every five {
SIX hours, after the first twenty-touI
10 order 10 dry the hemp when ror
ted. there may tie Il kiln under th
floor. and the hemp. raised III Il pei
pendIcuiar position. will very so"
dry, especially if the fires are brisk
or II may be dried bv being moved I
an open house or shed, where II ma
recelge the air, but not the SUM-
Hemp, thus prepared, will very far e'
coed 10 beauty and strength, anythln
which we have been accustomed I
see and handle in this county,
Where persons can avail rhemSeIve
OF waterfall it will be best to do 81
but water from a hand pump will b
altogether sufficient, as the quantlt
necessarily will be found to be ta
less than at first apPrehended. 1t
only necessary that the hemp shoul
be kept wet. and that the lime, &c
be not washed away too rapidly. !
IN the room of water, steam were n
piled, the process would be yet MOI
rapid, and perhaps more advantag'
Gus. In this process, the lime an
salt are indispensable. | have trle
rotting with water, and am assure
that it will succeed.
The public may expect, in a fe
days. description of machine whiC
is now building, for the purpose