The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1919-11-18


has seen a wider fluctuation in mar
ket demand than hemp fiber. Vari
ed conditions which are complained
of to-day, such as shortage of labor
and unsatisfactory market demand
have REQUIRED from time to time
throughout the whole period OF
hemp production in this State
Opinion seems to prevail at the pres
| ent time that the hemp industry is
a thing of the past and that the sta
bic demand for the fiber has been
usurped by other fibers imported
from foreign countries. A clearer
understanding of the present condi-
lions and of the outlook for the flu
ture may be arrived at by a review
of the hemp industry in Kentucky
during the past 144 years.
Hemp was first introduced into
this State by settlers arriving from
Virginia and because the fiber is
readily available for use in the man
ufacture of homespun yarns and
cloth, it soon became one of the
staple agricultural products of the
frontier. In this early period of Gull
tivation the art of home craftsman
ship was very highly developed by
the women of the plantations, and
many kinds of cloth, fine laces and
linen were eventually manufactured
out of hemp. With the coming of
4 he inl frio
PRODUCTION of machinery into the
weaving of cloth the home art was
more or less abandoned and this was
especially true after the invention of
the cotton gin the manufacture of
cotton cloth was very restricted, ow-
ing to the difficulty in separating
the fiber from the seeds. Although
hemp is widely adapted to many
uses its refractoriness under treat
ment of machinery soon brought
cotton to the front as a very heavy
competitor, and the hemp industry
quickly declined in favor of cotton
growing in other States, during a
period of several years. The growth
Of the cotton industry in the South,
however, at a later date, through
its demand for cotton vbagging and
bale rope, soon gave the hemp in
dustry in Kentucky a new import
ance, bringing hemp production to
point far in excess of what had pre-
viously been practiced.
About this time there was also a
great demand for hemp fiber in the
Eastern cordage plants where it was
used for the manufacture of rope for
the standing rigging of ships and in
sailcloth similar to cotton
duck. In 1864 cotton rose to a rel
atively high price, much higher per
pound than cotton bagging and bale
rope which were composed of hemp,
and for that reason it became adj
for cotton ginners to
overload their bales with the hemp
product. AS result of this the
amount of cotton bagging to be used
was restricted by manufacturers of
cotton goods and demand arose for
steel straps to take the place of the |
ordinary bale rope. Through this |
circumstance hemp once |
more lost a wide market. On account |!
Of the quicker transit by steamships |
over sailing vessels India jute was in !
troduced into the United States, and !
because of its cheapness in COMPARE
son. with hemp, soon displaced hemp
in cotton bagging, and furthermore, |
,he increasing use of steamships |
greatly reduced the quantity OF hemp
Used in the manufacture of rigging |
md sailcloth.
The manufacture of hemp pro-
lucts had risen to a point during
his period sufficient to require an
investment of 100000 capital in
lexington and an equal amount in
'ther parts of the State, in rope
walks and mills where rope, cotton
tagging, sailcloth and hemp linen
we're manufactured. There was also
| political phase to the hemp indus
ny at this time; so much so that
Henry Clay devoted a great deal of
lis time and attention to tariffs on
oreign hemp, for the. protection of
manufacturers, but con-
rary to the expectations of these
the price of hemp
was less after the imposi-
ion of the traiff than before its in
Russia, the greatest
country in the
world, continued to be a very heavy
with Kentucky and the
of the tariff tended to |
estroy the shipbuilding industry of
Jew England and to drive this in
ustry to England and other Euro {
can countries during the remainder ;
f the period of decline of building $
all ships. Il
Hence, again in the evolution of ,
he hemp industry, new markets {
7ere necessary and 1t was after this ,
uncture in the history of hemp rails t
lg and manufacture that the pres 2
MT uses of hemp came into promi- c