Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1843-07-29
III H M II
Correspondence of the Louisville Journal
BosToN, July 3. 1913.

say that can communicate something of
interest and value to the hemp grower.
Government makes an annual contract
with firm in Boston for about 700 tons Of
Riga hemp to be delivered at Charlestown,
(near Boston, the only place where the
Government manufactures hemp. This
year the price paid is $2l5 a ton, the mer-
chant paying the duty of $40 ton. This
Riga is cleaner and better handled than any
other hemp in Europe, and it is up to the
standard of this Hemp that American
Hemp must come. The Russian, which
you see quoted in the prices-current, though
excellent in fibre, would not be received at
Charestown, because it would waste more
than the Riga in cleaning and hacking
With Mr.. Caban, the master of the Charles
town rope walk, had long conversation,
during which | asked him many questions.
In general it may be stated that for Amer
can hemp to be received at the navy yard,
it is only necessary that it should not lose
more in cleaning and hacking than the Ri
ga; that is, it must not contain more than
l per cent Of tow, nor more than per
cent of chives. 1t is not necessary that it
should have been hacked, provided that it
has been broken in such way as not to
produce more than Is per cent Of tow; and
| feel perfectly certain that hemp cleaned
on the machine of William c. Williams,
near Louisville, will pass without hacking
1t is the opinion of Mr.. Caban that the Ri
ga hemp is not hacked, but have convers-
ed with gentleman long dealer in hemp
in Russia. who states that all the Russian
hemp is hacked. The Riga hemp has a
a very coarse fibre, very oily in feel and ap-
pearance, not soft and towv to the touch
evidently not much watered or rotted, and
seeming never to have been touched by the
hackle. 1t is put up straight in bundles of
about 90 pounds, Called heads,) with a
band of hemp tied within 9 inches of the
large ends of the hemp, and the small ends
of the hemp cut off, presenting in each
head fbres of equal length. No enquiry is
made at the navy yard as TO the mode in
which the hemp has been water rotted.-
Mr.. Caban is decidedly Of opinion that the
oily matter should be retained in the hemp,
and that to do this it should be watered on
ly long enough to make the harl part from
the stalk. He has not rejected any yet for
having been too much rotted though he
says he would reject any that should appear
altogether destitute of oil. The more
hemp has been rotted and freed from gluti-
nous and oily matter. the more tar it will re-
ceive, and the more the hemp grower looses
in weight. The more gutinous and oily
matter remains Incorporated in the hemp,
the less tar it will receive, the better it is for
naval purposes, and the heavier it comes
from the hemp grower. The object of
using tar upon rope is to prevent it from
rotting, but tar lessons the strength of
tha
portion that the hemp receives the tar
The Riga hemp, which will take but little
tar, is but ten per cent. weaker after being
tarred but the strength of the Kentucky
hemp is reduced by tar from 90 to 80 per
cent. Before being tarred, it is stronger
than the Riga, but the rope is weaker than
Riga rope. The difference is altogether
owing to the fact that the Kentucky hemp
is usually too much watered-that it does
not RETAIN incorporated in its texture as
part and parcel of its fibre, the native veg
etable matter which gives it life and pliancy
when worked into rope, and in conse-
quence it receives too much tar. But it
must be observed the less hemp is rotted,
the stronger even before il is tarred. The
private rope makers often prefer the thor
oughly -rotted hemp, because it takes most
tar, which is a cheaper article than hemp
Dew rotted hemp is often as strong as
the water rotted, and Mr.. Caban thinks
from the few specimens he has seen that it
is stronger. The only reason why it will
not answer for rope, is that the glutnous
and oily matter is extracted from the sub
stance of the hemp and deposited on the
surface, which prevents its receiving and
; Incorporating the tar.
Some difference of opinion exists at the
navy yard as to the price to be paid for
Kentucky hemp. The agent is of opinion
that he is TO pay only the market price of
Riga, now 5000 instead of $3.50, as paid
heretofore. Instructions have been de-
manded of the Navy Department at Wash
ington. Should the department determine,
as have no doubt it will, that only the
, market price price is to be given for Yves
tern hemp, the hemp-grower will find little
advantage in preparing his hemp specially
for the navy yard, unless it be in the high
character which his hemp will attain from
, being received at Charestown, and in the
circumstance Of engrossing the supply of
Government. Well cleaned water-rotted
Western hemp, of bright color, will sell
readily in this market at fraction below
the price of Russia. that is at Sl75 to $50
per ton of 2,24O lbs. The quantity of
Russian and American sold here for con-
sumption in the private rope walks is esti-
mated at about 5000 tons. The duty on
Russian hemp is $40 ton; the freight is
! now $l0a ton--say il will average $l2 so
ton. The freight of hemp from Ken.