Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1843-05-13

be equal or superior to the Russian
hemp; and he will not be disappointed if
he strictly observes the rules hereafter laid
down.
The situation for immersion should be
iudciously selected. The water itself. and
the powerful influence of the sun. renders
it difficult to give fixed rule as to time;
the farmer must, therefore take all the cir
into consideration if he expects
to be successful If the water is the least
with iron, the hemp will as
sumo reddish or brownish red appear
ance, and will be unfit for market If the
water contains sui phur, the hemp will be
of blueish or dirty grey, and equally I'M
fit for the use Of the Navy. But if the wa
Ter is pure, (such as rain wa,er) the hemp
will he bright yellow. tinged with green,
which is the most favorable color, and
which is the only kind that the Russian
Government allows to be shipped to for
eign countries.
The farmer has not often the advantage of
a running stream, but if he have, he should
never neglect to examine the water most
carefully before immersing his hemp. The
surest way, and, in the end, the cheapest,
to the extra distance. The stream should
be free from both mud and sand 1t should
also be clear and soft water. The expense
of getting to such stream will be more
than repaid by the better quality of the
hemp. In the absence of suitable stream
cisterns may be prepared, which may an
swer as good, and sometimes better pur-
pose, by conveying small stream of good
water through the cisterns, if not 100 ex-
pensive or too inconvenient.
Under ordinary circumstances, we should
select a river or creek, so that the water
may be constantly changing. The best
place for immersion is at bend or eddy of
the stream where water is four or five feet
deep, and large enough for the quantity to
be immersed.
The foundation 10 receive the hemp.
should be made in the manner following:
First, some bushes or limbs Of trees must
be thrown into the water. Then a layer of
straw spread over the brush On this. the
hemp must be deposited in regular strata,
bundle by bundle, until the straw is COW
cred. The next stratum Of hemp is laid
similarly TO the first, ibut crossways. The
third crosses the second, and so on. until
all the hemp is deposred; when, by its own
gravity. the whole pile will sink into the
water. Straw is now covered over the
top of the heap TO protect it from the
effects of the sun. Some brush and boards.
or plank. are put above the straw. and
weight should be used Gf necessary TO
force the whole down. until the hemp on
the top is eight inches below The surfare
OF the water. (Sand and dirt sh ,uld MOI
&c used for weight, as either would mater
ialIv iniure the quality of the hemp) In
this situation, the hemp must be left until
the decomposition is nearly completed, but
this moment is to be watched. with the
greatest care. as one days delay will defeat
the whole operation.
The requisite period for decomposition
depends on the temperature of the atmos.
pherc. In Russia, two, three, and some
times four weeks, are necessary. But the
author found, 10y an experiment made
some years since, near Georgetown, ID. CO.
that FIVE days immersion had been too
long, and that the hemp was lost. 1t was
very warm at the time. The same expert
inent was repeated some time after, in In.
diana, upon the product of two acres,
when greater attention was paid to the
process of decomposition. In this instance
the process was completed in seven days,
and the result was, that the hemp produced
was fully equal, if not superior, to Russian
hemp. A lot of this hemp was sold at a
much advanced price, 10 Mr.. Crawford
merchant of Terre Haute, Indiana.
The following are the signs of the pro.
press and termination of accommodation.
Ii must be ascertained, from time to time
by taking bundle from the lower part o.
the immersed hemp, and another from neal
the surface. From each bundle take few
single plants, and bend them at distance
Of about four inches apart, so that the up
per and lower end, or head and root, will
meet. If it bends without breaking cleal
through the woody stems, or will bend anc
only partly break, the hemp must remain
yet longer in the water. But when, by
repeated trials, the woody stem snaps O.
breaks clear through, and the fibrous part
separate freely from the portions of wood
clearly sheling off, then the process is com
pleted, and no time must be lost in remov
ing it from the water, and thus stoppin!
the decomposition. If suffered to remain
only half day longer, the fbrous part
will be greatly injured, and tow plants, in
stead of hemp will be the result Arrange
ments should, therefore, be made before
! hand to remove the hemp as soon as posi-
BILE to meadow, where il must be carries
without breaking the plants, which are nov
! very tender. Each bundle must be care
fully united, and regularly and thinl