Contributor's Note: The following is a Transcript of the Original
Film "HEMP FOR VICTORY!" produced by the U S Department of
Agriculture in 1942 to encourage American Farmers to grow hemp for
the War Effort...for years the USDA denied the existence of this
film. It was uncovered in the Library of Congress by Mr. Jack Herer
while doing research for his book :"The Emperor Wears No Clothes."
...
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Long ago when these ancient Grecian temples were new, hemp was
already old in the service of mankind. For thousands of years, even
then, this plant had been grown for cordage and cloth in China and
elsewhere in the East. For centuries prior to about 1850 all the
ships that sailed the western seas were rigged with hempen rope and
sails. For the sailor, no less than the hangman, hemp was
indispensable.
A 44-gun frigate like our cherished Old Ironsides took over 60
tons of hemp for rigging, including an anchor cable 25 inches in
circumference. The Conestoga wagons and prairie schooners of
pioneer days were covered with hemp canvas. Indeed the very word
canvas comes from the Arabic word for hemp. In those days hemp was
an important crop in Kentucky and Missouri. Then came cheaper
imported fibers for cordage, like jute, sisal and Manila hemp, and
the culture of hemp in America declined.
But now with Philippine and East Indian sources of hemp in the
hands of the Japanese,and shipment of jute from India curtailed,
American hemp must meet the needs of our Army and Navy as well as
of our industry. In 1942, patriotic farmers at the government's
request planted 36,000 acres of seed hemp, an increase of several
thousand percent. The goal for 1943 is 50,000 acres of seed hemp.
In Kentucky much of the seed hemp acreages is on river bottom
land such as this. Some of these fields are inaccessible except by
boat. Thus plans are afoot for a great expansion of a hemp industry
as a part of the war program. This film is designed to tell farmers
how to handle this ancient crop now little known outside Kentucky
and Wisconsin.
This is hemp seed. Be careful how you use it. For to grow hemp
legally you must have a federal registration and tax stamp. This is
provided for in you contract. Ask your county agent about it. Don't
forget.
Hemp demands a rich, well-drained soil such as is found here
in the Blue Grass region of Kentucky or in central Wisconsin. It
must be loose and rich in organic matter. Poor soils won't do. Soil
that will grow good corn will usually grow hemp.
Hemp is not hard on the soil. In Kentucky it has been grown
for several years on the same ground, though this practice is not
recommended. A dense and shady crop, hemp tends to choke out weeds.
Here's a Canada thistle that couldn't stand the competition, dead
as a dodo. Thus hemp leaves the ground in good condition for the
following crop.
For fiber, hemp should be sewn closely, the closer the rows,
the better. These rows are spaced about four inches. This hemp has
been broadcast. Either way it should be sewn thick enough to grow
a slender stalk. Here's an ideal stand: the right height to be
harvested easily, thick enough to grow slender stalks that are easy
to cut and process.
Stalks like these here on the left yield the most fiber and
the best. Those on the right are too coarse and woody. For seed,
hemp is planted in hills like corn. Sometimes by hand. Hemp is a
dioecious plant. The female flower is inconspicuous. But the male
flower is easily spotted. In seed production after the pollen has
been shed, these male plants are cut out. These are the seeds on a
female plant.
Hemp for fiber is ready to harvest when the pollen is shedding
and leaves are falling. In Kentucky, hemp harvest comes in August.
Here the old standby has been the self-rake reaper, which has been
used for a generation or more.
Hemp grows so luxuriantly in Kentucky that harvesting is
sometimes difficult, which may account for the popularity of the
self-rake with its lateral stroke. A modified rice binder has been
used to some extent. This machine works will on average hemp.
Recently, the improved hemp harvester, used for many years in
Wisconsin, has been introduced in Kentucky. This machine spreads
the hemp in a continuous swath. It is a far cry from this fast and
efficient modern harvester, that doesn't stall in the heaviest
hemp.
In Kentucky, hand cutting is practicing in opening fields for
the machine. In Kentucky, hemp is shucked as soon as safe, after
cutting, to be spread out for retting later in the fall.
In Wisconsin, hemp is harvested in September. Here the hemp
harvester with automatic spreader is standard equipment. Note how
smoothly the rotating apron lays the swaths preparatory to retting.
Here it is a common and essential practice to leave headlands
around hemp fields. These strips may be planted with other crops,
preferably small grain. Thus the harvester has room to make its
first round with preparatory hand cutting. The other machine is
running over corn stubble. When the cutter bar is much shorter than
the hemp is tall, overlapping occurs. Not so good for retting. The
standard cut is eight to nine feet.
The length of time hemp is left on the ground to ret depends
on the weather. The swaths must be turned to get a uniform ret.
When the woody core breaks away readily like this, the hemp is
about ready to pick up and grey. The fiber tends to pull away from
the stalks. The presence of stalks in the bough-string stage
indicates that retting is well underway. When hemp is short or
tangled or when the ground is too wet for machines, it's bound by
hand. A wooden bucket is used. Twine will do for tying, but the
hemp itself makes a good band.
When conditions are favorable, the pickup binder is commonly
used. The swaths should lie smooth and even with the stalks
parallel. The picker won't work well in tangled hemp. After
binding, hemp is shucked as soon as possible to stop further
retting. In 1942, 14,000 acres of fiber hemp were harvested in the
United States. The goal for the old standby cordage fiber, is
staging a strong comeback.
This is Kentucky hemp going into the dryer over mill at
Versailles. In the old days braking was done by hand. One of the
hardest jobs known to man. Now the power braker makes quick work of
it.
Spinning American hemp into rope yarn or twine in the old
Kentucky river mill at Frankfort, Kentucky. Another pioneer plant
that has been making cordage for more than a century. All such
plants will presently be turning out products spun from American-
grown hemp: twine of various kinds for tying and upholster's work;
rope for marine rigging and towing; for hay forks, derricks, and
heavy duty tackle; light duty firehose; thread for shoes for
millions of American Soldiers; and parachute webbing for our
paratroopers. As for the United States Navy, every battleship
requires 34,000 feet of rope. Here in the Boston Navy Yard, where
cables for frigates were made long ago, crews are now working night
and day making cordage for the fleet. In the old days rope yarn was
spun by hand. The rope yarn feeds through holes in an iron plate.
This is Manila hemp from the Navy's rapidly dwindling reserves.
When it is gone, American hemp will go on duty again; hemp for
mooring ships; hemp for tow lines; hemp for tackle and gear; hemp
for countless naval uses both on ship and shore. Just as in the
days when Old Ironsides sailed the seas victorious with her hempen
shrouds and hempen sails. HEMP FOR VICTORY!
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END
Contributor's note: This film can be view in the reading room area
of HEMPware, etc, 1090 S. Wadsworth, Unit D, Lakewood CO. HEMPware,
etc is Colorado's first hempery, carrying a variety of legal, non-
smoking hemp products such as clothing, hemp-seed oil, etc. They
also carry "The Emperor Wears No Clothes!" by Jack Herer...this is
the "bible" of the contemporary hemp movement.
Colorado, as well as several other states, will be attempting
to re-legalize hemp in 1992 by Citizen's Initiative Ballot Access.
Signatures of 50,000 registered voters are required during the
petitioning process. To learn more, call 303-470-1100 via touch-
tone-phone for free recorded information. Feel free to leave a
message.
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