It is hard to believe that at one time burley tobacco was not the chief cash crop in Kentucky. Yet for more than half a century hemp dominated the state's agricultural production. James Hopkins surveys the hemp industry in Kentucky from its beginnings through its demise at the end of World War II. He describes the processes of seeding and harvesting as well as the marketing of manufactured goods made of the fibrous plant.

With debate now raging over the legalization of industrial hemp, it is essential that an accurate portrait of this controversial resource be available. Originally published in 1951, Hopkins's work remains remarkably current as hemp manufacturing today is little changed from the practices the author describes.