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- XVII. An Essay on the
- Cultivation of Russian Hemp
-
- JOHN QUINCY ADAMS
-
- [This was written at a time when the US grew and
imported large amounts of hemp; it may seem strange that a US
president would write on this subject, as it is illegal to grow it
today in the Homeland. Other articles on the rense.com site can give
a very complete history of that. The following was part of US
Congressional record.
-
- It might be worth noting that many Americans are
working with hemp. In New York City, one can eat hemp at the Galaxy
Global Eatery, just north of the Village, and on the West Coast one
can go to a weekly happy hour at Nirvana Ranch a short walk from the
beach in Venice. Hemp businesses from sea to shining sea are in fact
appearing. Adams and the Founding Fathers who grew hemp would be
proud of people like Jack Herer, Mina Hegaard and Dennis Cicero. Hmm
I wonder what they would think about W?]
-
-
 On
the culture and preparing the hemp in Russia, transmitted by the
Hon. J. Q. Adams, Minister at St. Petersburg, March, 1810.
-
- In Russia, when the season is mild, the hemp seed
is sown about the 1st June, old style. The richer the soil of the
land employed for it, the better. A chetwirt of seed, (100 chetwirts
are equal to 73 quarters, Winchester measure,) is sown on a piece of
land of 80 fathoms (English feet) long and 60 fathoms broad.
-
- The land is first ploughed and harrowed, and,
about 200 single horse loads of dung being spread upon it, it is
left for six days, when it is again ploughed, and the seed sown and
harrowed the same day. In about four months the seed becomes ripe,
and the hemp is then pulled up with the roots; if it be allowed to
remain too long in the ground, it is apt to become harsh. It is
bound into heads or bunches of four handfuls each; these are hung
upon sticks placed horizontally, thus: x-0-0-0-0-0-0-x and allowed
to remain so for two days. It is then made into cut or thrashed hemp
as may be agreeable. The cut hemp is made buy chopping off the heads
containing the seed. These are put into the kiln, and, after
remaining there for eighteen hours, the seed is beaten out.
-
- If thrashed hemp is to be made, the heads or tops
must not be cut off, but the bunches of hemp placed entire in the
kiln; and, if the weather be warm, it will be sufficiently dry in
three days, when the seed must be thrashed out of the heads. In
either case, three days after the seed is separated from it, the
hemp must be put to steep or rot, either in a stream or a pond, and
that the hemp may be entirely immersed, it is put under wooden
frames upon which stones are placed, or, where they are not to be
had, earth is substituted, after the frames are covered with planks.
-
- The clearer and purer the water, the better will
be the color of the hemp. Where the water is warm, the better will
be the color of the hemp. Where the water is warm, three weeks
steeping will be sufficient; but, if cold, as in rivers, springs,
&c. five weeks or longer may be necessary. At the expiration of
this period, a head of the hemp is taken out and dried; if, on
beating and cleaning it, the husk comes off, the hemp may then be
taken out of the water; but, if the husk still adheres to it, it
must be allowed to remain some time longer. This trial must be
repeated from time to time, till the husk separates, when the hemp
must be taken out of the water, and suspended to dry, as directed
before, on its being taken off the ground.
-
- The hemp is now made into the two sorts,
distinguished by the names of Spring and Winter hemp, the former
being dry, and rather of a withered appearance, the latter more
moist, and of a fine brownish green color, containing more of the
vegetable oil, and, therefore, the most apt to heat, though, if not
shipped at St. Petersburg or Riga before September, there is not
much risk of its heating any more on board the ships, especially on
short voyages, as to England, and are the best fit for cables. If it
be intended that the hemp should be early ready for the market, it
is made into Winter hemp by the following process: On being taken
out of the water, it is left suspended in the open air for about a
fortnight, when it is put into the kiln for twenty-four hours, after
which it is broken by means of a hand-mill, and the husk is then
beaten off by striking the heads obliquely with iron and wooden
instruments, of the shape of a large two-edged knife; lastly, to
unravel it, it is drawn through a wooden comb, or card, with one row
of wide wooden teeth, fixed perpendicularly.
- The hemp is then laid up or suspended in sheds,
and is fit to be sorted, bound into bundles, and loaded the into
barks.
-
- The hemp to be prepared as Spring hemp, is allowed
to remain suspended and exposed to the weather the whole Winter,
until it be dried by the sun in the Spring, when it is broken and
cleaned in the same manner as the Winter hemp.
-
- As the greatest part of the Summer elapses before
it can be made fit for the market, none of this hemp reaches St.
Petersburg until the following Spring, that is, two years after it
was sown.
- The hemp is sown in the same manner as linseed,
rye, or wheat. Land of a sandy soil may also by employed for it, but
it must be strongly manured; other wise it will be too short and a
flat country should always be preferred.
-
- One chetwirt of seed commonly yields 25 loads
(upwards 36 pounds English) of hemp, and twelve chetwirts of hemp
see.
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