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+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 59625 ***
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+Transcriber Note
+
+Text emphasis is denoted as _Italics_ and =Bold=. Whole and fractional
+parts of numbers a s 12-3/4.
+
+
+  +--------------------------------------------------------------+
+  |                                                              |
+  |                                                              |
+  |                                                              |
+  |                                                              |
+  |                             Hemp                             |
+  |                                                              |
+  |                                                              |
+  |                                                              |
+  |                                                              |
+  |                  FARMERS' BULLETIN No. 1935                  |
+  |                                                              |
+  |               U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE                |
+  |                                                              |
+  |                                                              |
+  +--------------------------------------------------------------+
+
+
+
+
+                                CONTENTS
+
+
+                                                      Page
+              _Caution_                                  2
+              _HEMP_                                     3
+              _What it is_                               3
+              _It grows well in corn belts_              4
+              _How to grow it_                           5
+                  _Soils and Fertilizers_                5
+                  _Seed_                                 6
+                  _When to plant_                        6
+                  _Seeding_                              6
+                  _Culture_                              7
+              _Varieties to grow_                        7
+              _Enemies_                                  8
+              _Harvesting_                               8
+                  _Time to Harvest_                      8
+                  _Machinery_                            9
+                  _Retting_                             10
+                  _Underretting and Overretting_        11
+                  _Sunburning_                          11
+                  _Turning Soils_                       11
+                  _Testing the End Point of the Ret_    12
+              _Picking Up the Retted Stalks_            14
+              _Extra Care Insures Extra Profits_        15
+              _Yeilds_                                  16
+
+
+_Caution_
+
+
+
+The HEMP PLANT contains the drug marihuana. Any farmer planning to grow
+hemp must comply with certain regulations of the Marihuana Tax Act of
+1937. This involves registration with the farmer's nearest Internal
+Revenue Collector and the payment of a fee of $1. Although the fee is
+small, the registration is mandatory and should not be neglected, as
+the penalty provisions for not complying with the regulations are very
+severe. The registration must be renewed each year beginning July 1.
+This so-called "license" permits a farmer to obtain viable hempseed from
+a registered firm dealing in hemp, to plant and grow the crop, and to
+deliver mature, retted hemp stalks to a hemp mill.
+
+  Washington, D. C.                                Issued January 1943
+                                           Slightly Revised April 1952
+
+
+
+
+                                 _HEMP_
+
+
+                 By B. B. Robinson, _Senior Agrononmist_
+
+ _Division of Cotton and Other Fiber Crops and Diseases Bureau of Plant
+   Industry, Soils, and Agricultural Engineering Agricultural Research
+                             Administration_
+
+
+HEMP is a fiber used in making twines and light cordage. It is also used
+as an extender for imported cordage fibers, particularly abaca, sisal,
+and henequen, when supplies of these are not adequate to meet domestic
+demands. The size of the hemp industry, therefore, is greatly influenced
+by the availability of imported cordage fibers.
+
+Hemp is not a hard crop to grow. It should be planted on the most
+productive land on the farm--land that would make 50 to 70 bushels of
+corn per acre.
+
+The crop is planted with a grain drill and harvested with special
+machinery rented from hemp mills.
+
+It is allowed to lie on the ground until the outer part of the stalks has
+rotted, freeing the fibers. This process is called dew retting.
+
+The most important step in hemp farming is to stop the retting process at
+the proper time. (See pp. 12 and 13.)
+
+This bulletin tells how to grow and harvest hemp. For more information
+write to the Bureau of Plant Industry, Soils, and Agricultural
+Engineering, United States Department of Agriculture, or to your State
+experiment station, or consult your county agent.
+
+
+
+
+_What it is_
+
+
+Hemp is an annual plant that grows from seed each year, and therefore it
+can be brought readily into production. It produces twice as much fiber
+per acre as flax, the only other fiber that is its equal in strength and
+durability and that is known to be suitable for culture and preparation
+on machinery in this country.
+
+When hempseed is sown thickly for fiber production, the plants usually
+grow from 5 to 8 feet tall. However, when the plants are thinly spaced in
+rows for seed production, they may, under favorable conditions, reach a
+height of 12 to 16 feet. If the plants are not crowded, they become much
+branched and are bushy. Uniform stems approximately 3/8 inch in diameter
+and 5 to 8 feet long are especially desired for fiber production, because
+they can be handled well by the harvesting and processing machinery
+available in this country.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Hemp is a dioecious plant, that is, the staminate (male) and pistillate
+(female) flowers are borne on separate plants, rather than both on one
+plant. The flowers of the two types of plants are different, but the male
+plant is easily distinguished from the female, as the anthers are about
+the size of a wheat kernel. The male plants die soon after discharging
+their pollen; this is usually about 3 to 5 weeks before the female plants
+mature seed and die.
+
+The fiber of commerce ranges from 4 to 8 feet in length and has the
+appearance of a flat, fine ribbon. It lies very close to the epidermis or
+skin of the plant. Spinners desire the fiber ribbon 1/16 inch or less in
+width. The long strands of fiber are called "line" fiber to distinguish
+them from "tow" fiber, which consists of shorter, broken, tangled pieces.
+
+
+
+
+_It grows well in the Corn Belt_
+
+
+Hemp is recommended as a good crop for the Corn Belt States, because of
+their favorable climatic and soil conditions.
+
+Most fiber-producing varieties of hemp require a frost-free growing
+season of 5 months or longer to produce seed and approximately 4 months
+for fiber production. Hemp will endure light frosts in the spring and
+survive frosts in the fall better than corn. It grows best when well
+supplied with moisture throughout its growling season and especially in
+its early stages of growth. Drought conditions, if accompanied by high
+temperatures, appear to hasten maturity before the plants are fully grown.
+
+The vegetative growth of hemp should be uniform. This growth is
+noticeably affected if the soil is flooded or saturated with moisture for
+too long a period. The leaves turn yellow, and the plants die. Rainfall,
+well distributed during the growing season, is, therefore, desirable for
+uniform vegetative growth. Hemp should be planted only on well-drained
+soils and not on flat, heavy, impervious soils.
+
+Climate is important not only in the growth of the plant but also in the
+preparation of the crop after harvest. It influences the method used in
+handling the crop and the labor requirements, which determine the cost
+of production. In the United States the common practice (known as dew
+retting) is to cut the crop and let it lie on the ground. Exposure to the
+weather causes the fiber in the outer part of the stem to separate. Light
+snows and alternate freezing and thawing seem to improve or make the
+retting more uniform.
+
+
+
+
+_How to grow it_
+
+
+=Soils and Fertilizers=
+
+Hemp should not be grown on poor soils. To obtain good yields and fiber
+of high-quality, it is necessary to have a growth of uniform stalks 6 to
+8 feet long. Short stalks, from poor nonfertile soils, seldom produce a
+high-quality fiber.
+
+Fiber hemp grows successfully on soils of the Clarion, Tama, Carrington,
+Maury, Hagerstown, and Miami series, which, in general, are deep,
+medium-heavy loams, well-drained, and high in organic matter.
+Artificially drained areas of the Webster, Brookston, and Maumee series
+also give satisfactory yields. These soils are among the most productive
+soils of the Corn Belt. They produce average yields of 50 to 70 bushels
+or more of corn per acre. If land will not produce from 50 to 70 bushels
+of corn per acre, it should not be planted to hemp for fiber production.
+
+Muck or peat soils are not recommended for the production of high-quality
+hemp fiber. The quantity of fiber produced per acre on these soils may be
+very high, but experience has demonstrated that the fiber lacks strength,
+which is the first requirement of hemp fiber for good cordage.
+
+The inexperienced farmer usually gets advice from an experienced
+hemp-mill superintendent in the selection of the right soil. In fact, the
+farmer's contract to grow hemp usually specifies the exact field that it
+has been mutually agreed should be used for the hemp crop. This type of
+supervision by the company contracting for hemp has helped to prevent
+many crop failures.
+
+Hemp should not be grown continuously on the same soil, for the same
+reasons that many other crops are not adapted to such practices. In
+Wisconsin, fields previously used for a cultivated crop are selected
+for hemp planting in preference to ones upon which small grains have
+been grown. In Kentucky, bluegrass sod, if obtainable, is selected. Old
+pastures plowed up are well suited for hemp culture. Fields previously
+cropped to soybeans, alfalfa, and clover are excellent for hemp. A good
+rotation is to follow corn with hemp, and in Kentucky a fall cereal may
+follow the hemp.
+
+Although hemp requires a rich soil, it does not remove from the farm an
+excess of plant-food material. Nearly all the leaves on the hemp plants,
+containing much of the plant nutrients removed from the soil, fall
+off during the growth and maturing of the plant. The remaining leaves
+may drop off in the field during the process of retting. Further, the
+plant stems lose about 20 percent in weight of soluble and decomposed
+materials, which leach out upon the fields, and the stubble may be plowed
+under. The plant in this manner returns to the land a large part of the
+plant nutrients that it removes during its growth.
+
+Commercial fertilizers may be used to advantage on soils that are not
+well supplied with organic matter. Ordinarily, the best fertilizer
+for hemp is barnyard manure, but commercial fertilizer can be used to
+advantage to supplement manure. Lime applications may be supplied on acid
+soils to advantage. Consult your county agent for recommendations as to
+amounts of fertilizer and lime to apply.
+
+=Seed=
+
+The period of flowering of the hemp plant may extend over several weeks,
+and as a result the seed does not all mature at one time. Hemp seed
+for sowing frequently contains some immature green to yellowish-green
+seeds that may not germinate well. Good hempseed for sowing should be
+relatively free of such seeds and should germinate 90 percent or better.
+As the oil content of hempseed usually ranges between 29 and 34 percent,
+the seed should be kept cool and dry, as it spoils rapidly under warm
+and damp conditions. Hemp seed seldom retains its germinating power well
+enough to be used for seed after 2-years' storage.
+
+=When to Plant=
+
+Hemp should be planted in the spring just before corn. In a program
+calling for small spring grains and corn, the farmer should plan to plant
+his hemp between the time he plants his small grains and the corn.
+
+=Seeding=
+
+Hemp grown for seed production should be sown in rows or hills. The hills
+are commonly spaced 5 by 5 feet, with 6 to 10 seeds to the hill, planted
+not more than 1/2 inch deep. The plants are thinned to 3 to 5 to a hill.
+If care is taken to save seed, about 1-1/2 pounds wall sow an acre. Most
+farmers use more seed, and frequently the crop is replanted because of
+late floods or failure to obtain good stands.
+
+Hemp grown for fiber should be sown with a broadcast seeder or with a
+grain drill. A drill with 4 inches between drill tubes is preferred to
+one with 6 inches or more. The seed should not be planted deeper than 1
+inch, and a depth of 1/2 inch is preferred. If the seed is planted deep,
+the hemp seedling is not capable of pushing its way to the surface of the
+ground. A slight crust on the ground frequently results in a poor stand.
+If the seedbed is loose, disks on a seed drill may cut too deep into the
+soil and the seed will be sown more than 1 inch deep. In such cases, to
+make certain that the disks do not cut too deep into the seedbed, they
+should be tied to the seed box.
+
+A standard bushel of hempseed weighs 44 pounds. The rate of seeding hemp
+for fiber production ranges between 3 and 5 pecks of seed per acre. In
+Kentucky, where hemp is hand-broken, it has been the practice to sow 3
+pecks (33 pounds) per acre. However, when the hemp is to go to the mill,
+1 bushel per acre gives a product that is better suited to milling.
+Wisconsin and other Corn Belt farmers have commonly sown 5 pecks per
+acre. The lighter rate of seeding in Kentucky produces larger stalks.
+These stalks are easily broken, and the fiber is easily prepared by the
+hand-breaking methods that have been used there since colonial days.
+Machine methods of breaking and scutching to prepare the fiber are used
+in Wisconsin, and recently to some extent in Kentucky. The machines will
+handle finer stems, and the sowing of 5 pecks is advisable where hemp is
+to be prepared by machine.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+A good practice in planting hemp for fiber production is to sow around
+the edge of the field next to the fence a 16- to 18-foot width of small
+grains, which may be harvested before the hemp. Space is thus provided
+for the harvester to enter the field and begin cutting without injuring
+the hemp. It also prevents hemp plants at the edge from growing too rank.
+Uniform plants are necessary for uniform fiber quality.
+
+=Culture=
+
+Fall plowing in Wisconsin gives better results with hemp than spring
+plowing.
+
+Hemp for fiber production requires little or no cultivation or care
+after planting until the harvest; but if, after seeding and before the
+seedlings emerge, the ground crusts badly it may be advisable to roll the
+field to break the crust. Hemp for seed production should be cultivated
+the same as corn; that is, sufficiently to keep back the weeds. Spudding
+out Canada thistles where they appear in dense stands in hemp fields
+should be done when the hemp is only a few inches high. In most cases
+hemp will compete well with weeds, if the hemp gets off to a good start.
+
+
+
+
+_Varieties to grow_
+
+
+The fiber hemp grown in the United States by the early colonists was of
+European origin; but our present hemp, commonly known as Kentucky or
+domestic hemp, is of Chinese origin. Few importations of hempseed have
+been made in recent years for commercial plantings, as imported seed has
+not proved as productive under domestic conditions as Kentucky hemp.
+
+
+
+
+_Enemies_
+
+
+In the United States there are no hemp diseases of economic importance,
+and hemp has not been seriously attacked by insects. The European corn
+borer and similar stem-boring insects occasionally kill a hemp stem.
+However, they have not proved important, perhaps because hemp has not
+been grown to any extent in the sections of the United States where the
+European corn borer is a serious pest. Seedling plants are frequently
+attacked by cutworms and white grubs after spring plowing of sod land.
+
+Broom rape is a small weed 6 to 15 inches high that is parasitic on the
+roots of hemp, tobacco, and tomatoes, it usually grows in clumps and has
+purple flowers, which produce many very small seeds. These adhere to the
+waxy flower parts surrounding the hempseed and are distributed in this
+manner. Broom rape can be very serious on hemp if proper control measures
+are not followed. Only well-cleaned hempseed and seed from fields
+containing no broom rape should be sown.
+
+Hemp has been recommended as a weed-control crop. Its dense, tall
+growth helps to kill out many common weeds. The noxious bindweed, a
+member of the morning-glory family, is checked to some extent by hemp.
+Unfortunately, bindweed and several other species of morning-glory
+have seeds so near the same size and weight of hempseed that mixtures
+obtained in producing hempseed are carried to the field planted for fiber
+production. In growing hemp for seed all vine weeds of this type found on
+the hemp stalks should be removed before the hemp plants begin to produce
+seed.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+_Harvesting_
+
+
+=Time to Harvest=
+
+Hemp is harvested for seed production when the plant on being shaken
+sheds most of its seed. This occurs when the seeds are fully mature on
+the middle branches. The seeds will mature on the lower branches first
+and on the top of the plant last. The common method of harvesting hemp
+for seed production is to cut it by hand and shock it to permit more seed
+to mature and cure before threshing. The harvesting should be in the
+early morning or on damp days when the seeds do not shatter so much as
+they do in the warmer and drier part of the day. Threshing of the seed
+hemp should be done on dry afternoons. In threshing, the seed shocks
+should be placed on large canvas cloths 24 by 24 feet and then be beaten
+with long sticks to remove the seed.
+
+Hemp is harvested for fiber production when the male plants are in full
+flower and are shedding pollen. By harvesting before the male plants die,
+the retting of both male and female plants is more uniform, as both types
+of plants are still green and growing. The harvesting period may extend
+for 2 weeks or longer. Very early harvested hemp may produce a finer and
+softer fiber than that harvested later, but it is usually weaker. The
+fiber from hemp that has been harvested so late that many seeds have
+matured does not possess so good cordage and textile characteristics
+as fiber from hemp harvested earlier. Hemp stalks should be relatively
+free of leaves except a few at the very top before harvesting. This is
+important when hemp is shocked after harvest, as it makes the top of the
+shock smaller so that less rain can enter the shock.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+=Machinery=
+
+Harvesting methods vary with locality and climate. In Kentucky, hemp may
+grow to a height of 15 feet or more. These long stalks are difficult to
+handle with machinery. Self-rake reapers (see below) have been used in
+harvesting hemp for many years, and they probably do better work with
+very tall hemp than any other machine now available. A modified rice
+binder, which cuts and binds the hemp into bundles, is also available,
+although difficulty in handling the very tall hemp may be experienced.
+This latter type of machine can be used for short hemp in areas, such as
+Kentucky, where hemp must be shocked within a few days after harvest to
+avoid sunburn.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+In the northern part of the Corn Belt the hemp usually does not grow so
+tall and therefore can be handled more easily with machines. During the
+first World War hemp-harvesting machinery was developed. These harvesters
+(see above) in one operation cut an 8- or 9-foot swath and elevate the
+stalks to a quarter-circle platform where they are turned automatically
+and dropped or spread on the ground for retting. The butts of the stems
+all lie in the same direction and are relatively even. The thickness of
+the layer of stalks in the swath influences the speed and uniformity of
+the dew retting. Machines of this type, because of their labor economy,
+are recommended for use in the Northern States, where hemp can be safely
+spread for retting when harvested.
+
+Hemp harvesters are usually owned by the hemp mills. They are rented to
+the individual farmers, who usually furnish the motive power and the
+labor to run the harvesters.
+
+
+
+
+_Retting_
+
+
+Retting is the partial rotting of the hemp stalk. It permits the fiber
+in the stalk to separate easily in long strands from the woody core. The
+fiber strands break if unretted stems are bent or broken.
+
+In this country the usual practice is to ret hemp by allowing it to lie
+on the ground, where it is exposed to rain and dew. This method is called
+dew retting.
+
+Dew retting is dependent upon dews and rains to furnish the moist
+conditions necessary for the growth of the molds that cause the retting.
+In warm, moist weather the retting may require 1 to 2 weeks, but usually
+4 to 5 weeks is required for retting in Kentucky and Wisconsin. Hemp has
+remained spread under snow in Wisconsin until spring without serious
+injury, but more often hemp left under snow all winter is overretted and
+ruined.
+
+=Underretting and Overretting=
+
+If hemp stalks are lifted from the ground before they are sufficiently
+retted, the fiber will not separate easily from the woody hurds (small
+pieces of the woody core of the plant) in milling. However, if the
+retting is permitted to go too far, the fiber separates very readily
+from the core, but the adhesive substance between the individual fiber
+cells in the long strand breaks down and the fiber is weak. Hemp further
+overretted produces mostly short broken strands of fiber called tow
+fiber, which is less valuable than the long parallel strands of fiber
+called line fiber.
+
+Nowhere in the growing or processing of hemp is good judgment more needed
+than in determining the time to end the ret. Experience and good judgment
+are necessary to determine just when the hemp stalks should be lifted
+from the field and bundled. The lifting and shocking stops the retting
+action. The value of the fiber can be cut in half or entirely lost by
+several days' overretting in warm weather.
+
+=Sunburning=
+
+In Kentucky, hemp spread immediately to ret after harvest is apt to
+sunburn, or sunscald. It is common belief that the hot, bright days in
+August and September in some way cause deterioration of the fiber if
+spread for retting. Sunburned fiber is uneven in color, usually has
+less strength, and possibly is drier and more harsh than fiber not
+sunburned. In order to avoid sunscalding, the hemp is shocked after being
+harvested and not spread for retting until the cooler days of November.
+In locations having climatic conditions similar to those prevailing in
+Wisconsin, sunscald of hemp is rare.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+=Turning Stalks=
+
+In dew retting the spread stalks should be turned once or more during the
+retting period. This aids in bleaching the stalks and results in fiber
+of more uniform color and quality. The turning is done by workmen using
+bent poles approximately 8 to 10 feet in length. The poles are pushed
+under the head ends of stalks in the swath, and the stalks are turned
+over without moving the butt ends.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+In turning the straw the workmen start in the middle of the field,
+turning the first swath into vacant center space. The second swath will
+be turned to lie where the first swath had been, and so on.
+
+Care should be exercised in turning to prevent the stalks from tangling.
+The more hemp is handled, the more tangled the stalks may become. Tangled
+hemp is more difficult to process and produces a high proportion of
+tangled, short, tow fiber.
+
+=Testing the End Point of the Ret=
+
+A few days too long in the field may make the difference between retting
+and rotting. Therefore, it is most important that inexperienced farmers
+obtain the assistance of the hemp-mill superintendent or an experienced
+grower in determining when to stop the retting.
+
+Dry hemp stalks should be tested when possible to determine the degree of
+retting. Three to six stalks are taken in both hands and bent back and
+forth to perform the break test. If properly retted, the fiber should not
+break when the woody core breaks. The hurds should fall free of the fiber
+in the breaking and shaking between one's hands. If the hemp is only
+partly retted, some hurds will adhere to the loosened fiber. Unretted
+hemp fiber is usually green or light yellow. Dew-retted hemp is usually
+slate gray or black.
+
+After the fiber is broken free, its strength should be tested by
+breaking a small strand between the fingers. A small strand of fiber
+not twisted and about 3/32 inch wide should break with great difficulty
+and with a decided snap. If it is very weak and breaks with little or no
+snap the hemp is probably badly overretted or may have been grown under
+unfavorable cultural conditions. (See p. 5.)
+
+[Illustration]
+
+All indication that the retting end point is near is that the hemp makes
+"bowstrings." In a small percentage of the stems, less than 1 to 5
+percent under certain conditions, the middle of the stalks appears to ret
+first. The fiber comes free from the middle and forms a string fastened
+at the top and bottom of the stem, not unlike a bowstring. If bowstring
+stems are found, a sample of the hemp should be taken to the hemp-mill
+superintendent as soon as possible for verification of the retting end
+point. The bowstring condition is only a supplementary aid in determining
+when to stop the retting, and it may or may not occur in properly
+dew-retted hemp.
+
+Some experienced hemp producers use the peeling test for determining the
+degree of retting. This is accomplished by peeling the fiber away from
+the butt ends of the stems. If properly retted, the fiber should peel
+freely from the woody core of the stem. If the hemp is not sufficiently
+retted, the fiber will break after a few inches have been peeled. This
+free-peeling stage is desirable for breaking hemp on hand breaks. Where
+hemp is to be processed by machinery the retting need not progress quite
+so far as is necessary for hand breaking.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+_Picking Up the Retted Stalks_
+
+
+Hemp stalks may be picked up by hand. This method has been used from
+early times and is satisfactory where labor is plentiful. However, in
+this country it is being replaced by machine pick-up binders.
+
+In picking up the straw by hand, small sticks about 3 feet long with a
+single steel or wooden hook on the end are used. The hemp is raked into
+bunches with these implements, and usually tied. Hemp-fiber bands are
+used in tying the bundles. An inexpensive "buck" (see above) may be used
+to bunch the hemp, or it may be bunched with a pitchfork.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The most efficient method is to use the pick-up binder. These machines,
+drawn by tractors, cover about an acre an hour. They pick up the retted
+hemp stalks and tie them into bundles in one operation. The machines are
+part of the modern hemp-mill equipment and are rented to farmers.
+
+Dew-retted hemp is usually shocked after being picked up. The hemp
+remains in the shock until it is transported to the mill.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+_Extra Care Insures Extra Profits_
+
+
+The farmer's job is done when he delivers the hemp to the mill. All
+further processing to prepare the fiber is part of the milling operation.
+However, it is of interest to both farmers and mill operators to attempt
+to keep the hemp stalks and fiber well butted. This means keeping the
+butt ends of the stalks or fiber in a bundle all even. Every time the
+hemp stalks are handled, care should be taken to see that this is done.
+If the hemp stalks are well butted in the bundle when processed, the
+milling operations can be carried out more economically. Tangled, uneven
+bundles are more difficult and require more time to handle. The yield of
+high-value long-life fiber is much greater if the stalks are well butted.
+
+Hemp stalks are considered most desirable if they are less than half
+an inch in diameter. The thickness of a pencil is frequently used to
+illustrate the size of desirable stalks. The larger diameter stalks have
+a lower percentage of fiber than finer stems, are harder to break, and
+produce more tow fiber.
+
+Hemp stalks grown on unproductive soil usually contain a lower percentage
+of fiber, and this fiber may be coarse, harsh, and of low strength, so
+that it breaks into tow in milling.
+
+Stalks underretted frequently must be run through the mill breaker a
+second or third time to remove the remaining hurds. This increases the
+milling labor costs, and the resultant fiber may be reduced to a low
+grade. On the other hand, overretted hemp must be milled as little as
+possible, with less pressure exerted on the rollers and a slower speed of
+the scutcher wheel to keep from making an excess amount of tow fiber.
+
+
+
+
+_Yields_
+
+
+Hemp yields have been extremely variable when this crop has been planted
+in new areas by inexperienced farmers. In Wisconsin and Kentucky, where
+only experienced farmers have grown the crop in recent years, the yields
+have not varied a great deal. The crop has been reasonably dependable and
+has not often been injured by storms or droughts.
+
+The average yields per acre for experienced farmers are approximately
+2-1/4 to 2-1/2 tons of air-dry retted hemp stalks; 850 pounds total
+fiber. Under the Wisconsin machine-milling system the yields may average
+450 pounds line fiber and 400 pounds tow fiber; under the Kentucky
+hand-breaking system they may average 775 pounds Kentucky rough and 75
+pounds tow.
+
+If hemp is planted for seed production, the average yields per acre are
+approximately 15 bushels or 660 pounds, on bottom land, and 12 bushels on
+uplands.
+
+
+
+
+U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1952
+
+              For sale by the Superintendent of Documents,
+                    U. S. Government Printing Office
+                  Washington 25, D. C. -- Price 10 cents
+
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+
+Transcriber Note
+
+
+Illustrations were moved so as to not split paragraphs. Minor errors were
+corrected. The Contents was added for ease of locating sections of interest.
+This file was produced from images generously made available by The
+Internet Archive.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of USDA Farmers' Bulletin No. 1935: Hemp, by 
+B. B. Robinson
+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 59625 ***