ver
discarded from the London Pharmacopoeia.

59. URTICA canadensis. CANADIAN HEMP NETTLE.--During the late war,
when, from unfortunate circumstances and misunderstandings amongst the
potentates of Europe, the commercial intercourse was checked, great
speculations were made among the people to discover substitutes for such
articles as were of certain demand; and one of the principal was of
course the article Hemp, which, although it can be partially cultivated
in this country, is a plant of that nature that we should find the
article at a most enormous price were we dependent on our own supply
alone. The great growth that supplies all the markets in the world is
Russia, where land is not only cheap, but of better quality than here;
but with which country we were once unhappily deprived of the advantage
of trade. This caused persons to seek for substitutes: and I once saw
one that was made from bean-stalks, not to be despised; but it is
probable that none has reached so high in perfection as that produced
from the plant above named. A person has grown and manufactured this
article in Canada, and has exhibited some samples in London, which it is
said have obtained the sanction of government, and that the same person
is now engaged in growing in North America a considerable quantity of
this article. As this, therefore, is a subject of great interest to us
as a maritime nation, I shall insert the following account that is given
of this plant. I am, however, quite unacquainted with its culture or
manufacture, and cannot pledge myself for the accuracy of the detail.

"PERENNIAL HEMP. Cultivation.--Affects wet mellow land, but may be
cultivated with advantage on upland black mould or loam, if moist and of
middling good quality. Manure will assist the produce. It may be planted
from the beginning of October to the latter end of March, in drills
about fifteen inches asunder and nine inches distance in the drills.

"Propagation.--Sow the seeds in a bed in the month of March, and
transplant the roots next autumn twelvemonth, as above directed; or
divide the old roots, which is the quickest way of obtaining a crop.

"Time of Harvesting.--If a fine quality of Hemp is desired, mow the
crop when it is in full bloom; but should a greater produce of inferior
quality be more desirable, it should stand until the seeds are nearly
ripe. It should remain in the field about a week after it is mown, and
when sufficiently dry gathered in