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crops and other necessary purposes. From sowing the seedearly in May, till the latter end of August, the farmer neednot look at his hemp field, and even afterwards, so that histask will not be very arduous
§ 2. Soil and preparation .— Hemp delights in a deep freesoil; and whether sandy, clayey, gravelly, or mossy, is of lit-tle or no consequence; but it requires to be deeply ploughed,reduced into fine tilth, well manured, and free from rootweeds. The same field may continue to grow successive andluxuriant crops of hemp, providing it be manured to everysecond crop. When it is to succeed a grain crop, the landwill generally require three ploughings, one of which oughtto be given before winter to mellow the soil.
§ 3. Seed process — It is of much importance that the seedbe new and of good quality. That from Riga and Narva haslong been held in high reputation as the best. From two tothree bushels of seed are generally given to the acre; but asthe crops are apt to be injured by the plants being too nume-rous and close, from two bushels to two and a half are recom-mended as quite sufficient for the acre. This, however, mayvary, according to the quality wanted in the hemp, as in theculture of flax. If for the purpose of being manufacturedinto ropes, for which a strong coarse quality may suffice, thinsowing may be advisable; but when meant to be manufac-tured into finer linen, thicker sowing may produce a finer
* Survey of the Hebrides , p. 278. Others however, contend, that the soil ofthe Hebrides , excepting perhaps in a few places, is not favourable to the growthof hemp, nor is the climate propitious to it. The reasons for cultivating hempat every homestead, have been long ago superseded by commerce, the improvedstate of civilization, and the division of labour in Great Britain . The same rea-sons operate against the culture of hemp, as a rotation crop, as against flax.—As long ns Great Britain maintains her naval superiority, the difficulty of pro-curing hemp is a mere bugbear. Our colonies of Canada, and New South Wales ,will alone yield a sufficiency, if ever a defect of supply from the Baltic shouldtake place. It would certainly be desirable, however, to a certain extent, to beindependent of foreign, supply.