  Hemp stalks may be picked up by hand. This method has been used from early times and is satisfactory where labor is plentiful. However, in this country it is being replaced by machine pick-up binders. In picking up the straw by hand, small sticks about 3 feet long with a single steel or wooden hook on the end are used. The hemp is raked into bunches with these implements, and usually tied. Hemp-fiber bands are used in tying the bundles. An inexpensive "buck" (see above) may be used to bunch the hemp, or it may be bunched with a pitchfork. The most efficient method is to use the pick-up binder. These machines, drawn by tractors, cover about an acre an hour. They Dew-retted hemp is usually shocked after being picked up. The hemp remains in the shock until it is transported to the mill. |
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