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the plants must be removed by means of a ripple, formerlymentioned when treating of flax, after which the bundles aretied up as before, and consigned to the steeping pool, wherfithey are managed very much in the manner already mention-ed in regard to flax. Care must be taken, in the conduct ofthis operation, that the sheaves be not pressed down againstthe bottom of the pool, and that no part of them float abovethe water.
Hemp is known to be sufficiently 6tecped or watered, bydrawing out a few stalks in different parts of the pool anddrying them. When the fibrous rind separates easily fromthe heart-stalk, or boon, the watering has been sufficient; butit is better to give rather too little steeping than too much, asthe latter is apt materially to injure the texture and strengthof the hemp fibres, by incipient rottenness. From six or se-ven, to ten or twelve days in the water usually suffices, ac-cording to the temperature of the season, and the quality ofthe water.
§ 7. When sufficiently watered, the hemp is spread out ona clean short sward of grass, sheltered from strong winds, andthat is not liable to be flooded. The crop continues on thegrass till by frequent trials the fibrous part becomes easily se-parable. For such hemp as is meant for ropes and othercoarse articles of manufacture, the grassing process is seldomused in Russia or Poland . Immediately after watering, it isdried, and then laid up to meat for five or seven weeks, whichcauses it to work the more easily in the after parts of its pre-paration. After being sufficiently grassed, the hemp is tiedup again into sheaves or bundles as before, and again dried.It requires from a fortnight to five weeks grassing, in propor-tion to the degree in which it has been watered.
§ S. Breaking —This process is so similar to that in themanagement of flax, as not to require being specified. It isnecessary, however, to be careful in this process not to cut ortear the hemp by the brake-machine, which is to be avoid-