The New International Encyclopædia/Hemp, Sunn

HEMP, Sunn. The fibre derived from the bark of Crotalaria juncea, order Leguminosæ, a native of India. The plant has been in cultivation from time immemorial upon the high, sandy lands less suited for the more exacting crops. Seed is generally sown in April or May, and in August the plant, if grown for its fibre, is pulled or cut close to the ground, laid in long rows till the leaves begin to rot and separate from the stalks, which are then steeped in water for a few days, till the bark separates freely. The average yield is about 640 pounds of fibre per acre. The fibre is not so strong as hemp, but good cables, canvas, and cloth are made of it. It is now exported in considerable quantity, and is known by various names, as brown hemp, Bengal hemp, etc. Jubbulpore hemp (Crotolaria tenuifolia) is considered by some authorities to be a variety of Crotalaria juncea. See Crotalaria.