HEMP, the cannabis sativa of Linnæus, is a very valuable plant, from which cloths and cordage of various kinds are manufactured. It does not appear that the ancients were acquainted with the use of hemp, in respect of the thread it affords. Pliny, who speaks of the plant in his natural history (lib. xx. c. 23), says not a word of this, contenting himself with extolling the virtues of its stem, leaves, and root. In fact, what some writers on Roman antiquities remark, that the hemp necessary for the use of war was all stored up into two cities of the western empire, Ravenna and Vienne, under the direction of two procurators, called procuratores linificii, must be understood of linum or flax.
Hemp is supposed to be a native of India, but it is now cultivated in various other countries, where it forms an article of very considerable commercial importance. Its uses, culture, and management are nearly the same as those of flax, but it is stronger and coarser in the fibre than that article. When pulled green, hemp is considered as a cleaner of the ground, but when grown for seed it is a very exhausting crop. Little of it is grown in this country, its cultivation not being deemed profitable; and the quantity raised in Ireland is also inconsiderable. But in Russia and Poland it is very extensively cultivated; and Italy yields not an inconsiderable quantity. Very good huckaback for towels and table-cloths, and different kinds of wearing apparel, are made from hemp; but its great consumption is in the manufacture of sail-cloth and cordage, to which purposes it is exceedingly well adapted by the strength of its fibre. Amongst the Hindus a favourite intoxicating liquor called banga is extracted from hemp; and in Egypt it is applied to the same purpose.
Great quantities of hemp are exported from Russia. It is assorted, according to its quality, into clean hemp, or firsts; out-shot hemp, or seconds; half-clean hemp, or thirds; and hemp codilla. Of the first three sorts there are annually exported from St Petersburg 2,000,000 poods; sixty-three of which make an English ton. English and American vessels are chiefly employed in this trade; and particular care is taken to ship the hemp in dry weather, as it is totally spoiled if it gets wet. Riga hemp brings a higher price than that of St Petersburg. It is divided into three sorts, viz. rein, rhine, or clean, out-shot, and pass-
hemp. Of 530,820 cwt. of undressed hemp imported into this country in 1831, 506,803 were brought from Russia, 9472 from the East Indies, 7405 from Italy, 2262 from the Philippine Islands, 2248 from the United States, and some small quantities from a few other places. In 1832 the duty on hemp was reduced from 4s. 8d. to 1d. per cwt. a reduction which cannot fail to be beneficial to the trade.