1791: Thomas Jefferson grows hemp on his farm

1791: Thomas Jefferson grows hemp on his farm.

Thomas Jefferson was an American Founding Father who was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence (1776), and he was the third President of the United States (1801–1809). Thomas Jefferson grew hemp on his farm. He kept a record of his business, thoughts, and ideas about this in his account book and other writings.

Among many other agricultural matters, he describes how one should grow hemp and make hemp seeds:

“Hemp. Plough the ground for it early and very deep, which should be in March. A hand can tend 3 acres of hemp a year. Tolerable earth yields 500 lb. to the acre. You may generally count on 100 lb. For every foot, the hemp is over 4 ft. high. A hand will break 60 or 70 lb. a day, and even to 150 lb. if it is divided with an overseer, divide it as prepared.

Photo: The farm book by T. Jefferson (page 95). Original manuscript from The Coolidge Collection of Thomas Jefferson Manuscripts at the Massachusetts Historical Society.

Research and text © Hempshopper Amsterdam.