The hemp plant is harvested and processed in a manner
similar to that used for flax. Fiber is feed from woody matter by dew-retting
or water-retting, followed by breaking and scotching. The fiber is softened by
pounding it mechanically or by hand.
Hemp can be separated from the straw by a mechanical process
more easily than in the case of flax. ‘Green’ hemp is now produced commercially
in this way.