Science Cannabis

Introduction 13of September Hemp ripens; it is then pulled up by the roots, and tied intosheaves, of the size of ordinary corn sheaves. Wages for pulling are, uponaverage, about a shilling (5p/US$0.08) per score of sheaves. In a few daysthe sheaves are formed into shocks each of which consists of one hundredsheaves. A cloth is laid between every three sheaves for the convenience ofthreshing, and to receive the seed which may casually fall out. The shocksare covered with Hemp-lop, i.e. barren and withered stalks, to protect themfrom the weather, birds, etc. In this state they stand for about three weeksor a month; should the weather prove wet, a longer time will perhaps benecessary.The seed is then threshed out in the field, into the cloths, which werebefore stated to be placed between every three sheaves. After threshing, theHemp is covered close with sods in stagnant water. Care must be taken toexclude all fresh water after the immersion of the Hemp, otherwise thetendency to peel, which is the intent of this process, would then be delayed.After having been thus steeped about three weeks, Hemp is usuallyfit to peel; it is then placed in the fields for about a week ( in fine weather)to dry: afterwards removed under shelter, and peeled by women. The priceof the labour is about seven pence (US$0.10) per stone (14 Ib). After peelingthe stalks are formed into bundles of the size of a common faggot, andsold for one penny-per bundle as fuel, which purpose they answer extremelywell. There is also another way of making Hemp, called breaking,which is performed by a machine named a Hemp-break; this method isbut little used at Crowland, except for the small stalks, which it would betedious to peel. The Hemp by breaking is rendered finer and more fit forthe manufacture of linen; for this purpose, however, it should be pulledbefore it ripens, and thus the profit arising from the seed is lost.(Wisset, 1808)The author goes on to detail the economics of hemp cultivation.For each acre a clear profit of £8 ($13.00) was reported, after expenses of£14.70 ($23.22). Despite the labor-intensive methods used, the total costof labor was a mere £3.40 ($5.40) per acre.The hemp seed has also been an important food crop, and from itcan be derived an oil that has many uses as a lubricant, paint ingredient,ink solvent, and cooking oil. The seeds are now used mainly for animalfeed and as birdseed.Most of the ancient uses of hemp have been overtaken by the ad-