1802] Water-Steeping, 0 Water-Rotting Hemp. 403

diately, as hereafter dire&ted, or houſe it from rain, till a more convenient opportunity ofers for the purpoſe.

I have before obſerved, gbat beds of the Hemp, of about ſix feet wide, ſhould be let groWing until an intermediate ſpace of two feet wide had been cleared, and the Hemp which grew chereon carried away; you muſt then proceed to pull up the male Hemp which was left growing among the female Hemp, leaving the latter to grow with as little injury as poſible until tl ieed is ripe: the male Hemp may be dried in the interned ſpace of ground abovementioned, and made up in bundles as the

former.

METHOD OF COLLECTING HEMP SEED,

THE female Hemp ſhould remain growing till the ſeed is fully ripe, the ſigns of which are the opening of the pods where- in the ſeeds are lodged, ſo much, that you may juſt perceive the ſeeds therein: they will have a browniſh appearance. It may probably be the rſt or ſecond week in Odtober before the female Hemp ſhould be pulled; it ſhould then be carefully pulled to avoid ſhedding the ſeed, and be bound in ſmall bundles, and ſet to dry, with the root-ends downwards, like corn in ſheaves,

Avoid looſing the ſeed in pulling or drying and when the bun- S5 P 5 è SARE= La

dles are dry, you ſhould have a wooden fool, with a ſheet or blanket under it, and, Dy ftriking the Hemp againft the ſtool, to beat the ſeed from it into the ſheet or blanket, breaking your Hemp as little as poſſible. f

After you have ſeperated the ſeed from the Hemp, either by beating it as above, or by threſhing irt ſubſequently, you muſt be careful of the ſeed, particularly whilf it is new, to prevent its heating; which 1s beit guarded againít by frequently turning ît 5 it ſhould then be kept in a dry place, but not too clole, for thg air will afiſt in preſerving it.

I have been very particular in giving directions about pre- ſerving the ſeed, in order that good ſeed may be procured in Ca- nada, wizhout the neceſſity of always ſending it from England, and to avoid the riſk of bad ſeed being ſent from hence. 1 ſhall how return to the relation of the method of preparing Hemp which had been previouſly plucked, and was ready for the water= Îteep or water-rotting.

WATER-STEEPING OR WATER-ROTTING HEMP,

This operation is performed, by placing the Hemp which had been previouſly made up in bundles about the thickneſs of a man's thigh, after drying it in the air, in a pond containing about five or flix ſeet deep of water, and free from mud: the bundles of Hemp ſhould be laid therein accros each other, and cloſé toge- ther, part of the heads one WAY, and part the other, the whole cavered with water, and kept underneath it by ſtones, weights or levers, till properly feeped, which may be known by takir