1. HEMP • Ancient records describe the use of hemp in China in 2800 B.C. • It is bast fiber that is soft and durable that comes from the plant CANNABIS SATIVA, an annual of family MORACEAE • Now is cultivated in almost every European country and in Asia.

2. hemp reach a height of more than 10 feet. Due to its astonishing adoptability to altitude, it can reach to a height of nearly 8000 feet. hemp is a dioecious plant i.e. male and female flowers are born on a separate plant. Male plants are plucked 2-3 weeks before female plant. The male plant is shorter and thinner while Female plant is strong. male plant retted in 10 days while female plant retted in 3 weeks. In dew retting like flex retting, hemp stems are left to lie in the fields to allow humidity and heat to stimulate the growth of micro-organism. Fibres produced by dew retting are of medium length and dark in colour because moulds attach both pectin and cellulose. for water retting rivers or tanks are used; upper most hemp should be submerged 4 inches below the water surface and lower most should be 20 inches below the water surface. After 4 days fibre strands begin to separate from woody portion. Retting process continue and completes when fibre show white colour. It takes about 7-9 days. After washing in the same tank, fibres are dried and stored. Hemp fibre

3. Macro structure • Hemp fibre is light in colour and has a high Luster like flex. • Under the microscope its longitudinal view shows frequent joins and fractures. Its diameter appears uneven and shows attachment of fregmentry tissues. The lumen is broad. The cross-sectional cells have round edges and not so sharp and polygonal as those of jute. • Hemp is not entirely pure cellulose; it appear to be mixture of cellulose and ligno-cellulose.

4. Structure • Strands of hemp fiber may be 2m. • The individual cells are 13-26 mm long. • The central canal or lumen is broader than that of flax, the ends of the cells are blunt.

5. Properties • Hemp fineness is less than that of linen, but its tensile strength is appreciably greater. • Hemp is more hygroscopic than cotton due to its structure. • Hydrochloric acid and potassium hydroxide produce a brown colour while ammonia produce a violet colour. • Its sp.gravity is 1.48-1.5. • Tanacity is 48 gram/tex. • M.R is 12%

6. Uses • Hemp seeds contain all the essential amino acids and essential fatty acids necessary to maintain healthy human life. The seeds can be eaten raw, ground into a meal, sprouted, made into hemp milk. Prepared as tea, and used in baking. The fresh leaves can also be eaten in salads. Products include cereals, and nut butters. • Hemp can be cottonized but do not spin easily alone, use ful yarns when mixed with cotton.