Show kentucky once was center of U S hemp industry I 1 government plans to grow nearly halt balf a million tons ot of hemp annually promise to restore to kentucky the hemp industry for wl which ach the state was first distinguished Kentuck ys blue grass section was adapted to hemp seed had come to the colonies from europe virginia supplied Kentuck ys early planters in time practically all hemp in the united states was wag grown from kentucky tucky seed A generation ago the state was still producing nearly a quarter million pounds of seed a year grown for its fiber the hemp shoots up seven to ten feet and 14 feet when cultivated for seed homespun cloth was woven from the fiber by wives and ana daughters of settlers A later use usa of the fiber included the making of bagging cot ton baling rope and sailcloth early in the last century kentucky had a dozen mius mills making hemp bagging 40 producing hemp rope for fast clipper ships and other merchantmen merchantman merchant men and for the growing U S navy lexington wasa was a market tor for hempen goods foreign competition cut domestic output abaca so called manila hemp from a plant of the banana family made better rope at less cost jute supplanted hemp for marty many uses also kentucky planters found tobacco a more profitable to raise |