November i, 1883.] 



THE TEOPICAL AGRICULTUKIST. 



361 



to grow about it. During the growing season the horse- 

 hoe should be kept frequently at work between the hills. 

 Where cuttings are planted no sticks are required the 

 first yeai% the vines being allowed to spread over the 

 ground, but of course the plant should be encouraged to 

 make foliage. Where bedded sets are used it will be necess- 

 ary to provide sticks above six feet high for the vines to 

 cUinb. If the plants have done fairly well, the second year 

 they would require poles. The old style of poling hops was 

 that of putting three or four poles to each hill according 

 to the strength of the plants ; but during the past ten years 

 this system has been superseded on most well-managed 

 plantations by others considered to be more conducive to 

 productiveness and the general well-being of the crop. Some 

 of these improved systems are protected by patents. One 

 of the best of the various improvements I believe to be 

 that of putting two stout permanent poles tj each hill, 

 about 16 feet high. About four feet from the groimd, a 

 small piece of hooping is nailed on the pole, into which 

 is inserted the point of another shorter pole, the tip of 

 which rests between two spikes on the summit of the cor- 

 respondmg permanent pole in the next row, thus giving 

 an angle of about 40 '^ or 45°. This is a great conveni- 

 ence in every way ; besides the saving of labor in pol- 

 ing, at picking time instead of the heavj- poles having to 

 be pulled out of the ground, the standing poles have merely 

 to bo lifted out of the hooping. Strong soft string, or 

 even galvanised wire, is sometimes substituted for the 

 sUinting poles, which is of course much cheaper, and ap- 

 pears to answer equally well. Another method is to fix 

 stout poles in rows across the ground at intervals, like 

 telegraph poles, and about IS feet high. A row of poles 

 is placed between every fourth and fifth row of hills, and 

 on the top of the poles a sis-strand twisted galvanised 

 wire is twisted. In this case a strong permanent stump 

 is driven in the ground at each hill, into which a staple 

 is fixed. Four slighter whes are then stretched from the 

 staple in the stump to the upper wire, two wires going to 

 the high wu-e on the right, and two in the opposite direc- 

 tion; thus every row of poles with the upper wire serves 

 four rows of hills. The shght wires are attached t-o the 

 wire at the top by means of strong iron hooks. These 

 hooks and the wires are previously prepared by the work- 

 men in wet weather, when they connot be employed in 

 out-door labor. This is no doubt the most perfect .system 

 now in use, for various reasons, which space forbids "me to 

 refer to separately here; and though the method may 

 appear rather complicated on paper, it is in reality easily 

 worked, and I shall be happy to personally explain it more 

 fully to anyone wishing to make the experiment. One of 

 the largest hop-growers in East Kent — on whose plant- 

 ations experiments were systematically carried out with all 

 known method.s — once told me that on his ground 2 cwt. 

 more hops per acre were gathered under this syst«m than 

 from any other portion of the plantation. 



The winter dressing and cutting back of the hop plant 

 is of as much consequence to the hop as pruning is to 

 the grape. For this operation the hdls should be opened 

 by removing the soil with a steel fork, so as to leave the 

 surface roots and crowns of the plants quite bare. The 

 operator then takes the exposed roots and cuts them back 

 hard to the plant. Roots growing downwards should not 

 be cut, but all roots spreading outwards around the plant 

 may be cut away, and fresh fibrous rootlets will then be 

 formed. The crown of the plant should then be cut back 

 to one eye. just as the grape vine is cut under the .short- 

 spear system. After pruning, the top hill is covered over 

 with two or three inches of soil and allowed to remain 

 tintil the young shoots commence to grow. As .soon as the 

 ghoota begin to rise and bend, the shoots will require direct- 

 ing to the poles or wires, as the case may be. Two or 

 three vines are sufficient for each pole or "wire, and the 

 vines should then be tied lightly to the support by means 

 of bast rushes, or any soft substauce. Here, the material 

 of old sugar mats, split into narrow strips, would answer 

 the purpose admirablj'. When the poles or wires are fur- 

 nished with the two or tlu'ee good grooving vines, all that 

 iremain should bo cut away, thus concentrating the whole 

 power of the plant in the vines that are to bear the future 

 crop. I apprehend that the growth of the vines hi this 

 colony would be very rapid, thus requiring Constant atten- 

 tion in directing and tying until they are beyond reach, 



when they will be strong enough to take care of them 

 selves. In England the hop-tying is usually undertaken by 

 the wives of the farm workmen. It is done by contract 

 at the rate of about 15s. per acre. It is usual for the 

 farmers in the hop-growing districts, when engaging work- 

 men, to stipulate that the wife undertake to tie hops. 



In England the hop crop is a very precarious one, as it 

 has many enemies and risks to encounter during its growth, 

 the greatest of all bemg a wet, cold summer. In hot, dry 

 summers the crop is usually abundant. Shoidd a few cold 

 nights occur about July the plants become stinted in 

 growth, and this is usually followed by an attack of what 

 is known as "hop-hce," a variety of green aphis. Perhaps 

 the greatest and most dreaded of all enemies to the hop 

 crop is the "mould" or "mildew," which, having onco 

 attacked the plant, spreads very rapidly throughout the 

 whole plantation. The usual remedy for this is flour of 

 sulphur, which is generally appUed at night while the 

 dew is on the bines, by means of a machine prorided 

 with fans, something in the way of a wimiowing machine. 

 The sulphur is placed in a receptacle provided, and as 

 the machine is ilrawn by a horse between the rows, the 

 sulphur is driven out by the fans with great force, filling 

 the whole air with the fine powder, which gradually settles 

 on the foUage attracted by the moisture. This checks the 

 mildew to a great extent, but does not exterminate it. 

 Like all other plants, certain varieties of the hop are 

 more subject to bhght than others. Amongst the best 

 varieties are Early Goldings, Early Prolifics, Kent Cole- 

 gates, Canterbury Goldings, Jones', and the Oox's Grape 

 hop, so called from its growing in bunches like grapes. 

 The male or " brick-hop," as it is generally called, is very 

 seldom grown, as its produce is of no value ; nevertheless 

 some planters have a small proportion of male plants dis- 

 tributed through their plantations, say, one plant in every 

 twentieth hUl. These plants have no influence whatever 

 on the hop crop, and are only grown by farmers of the 

 old school; and they follow the plan from no other prin- 

 ciple than " 'twas my father's custom, and so it shall be 

 mine." Of course, if seed of the hop is required, the 

 male plant is indispensable. 



The hops are produced on the lateral branches of the 

 vine, and are usually fit for gathering about a mouth after 

 making then: appearance. At that time the hops com- 

 mence to change color and look a httle brown, smell fra- 

 grant, and become bitter to the taste. They are then con- 

 sideretl ripe and fit for gathering. The hops are gathered 

 by women and children, the occupation being considered 

 very healthy, and is undertaken by aU classes; thus 

 acknowledging that " there is dignity in honest labor." 

 When gathered the hops are put into large bags, and con- 

 veyed to the oast for drying, pressing, and preparing for 

 market. The average contract price in England for build- 

 ing an oast is about £liX); but the preparation of the 

 hops for market is a subject which, if of sufficient inter- 

 est, must be dealt with iu a separate paper. — I'lanter and 

 Farmer. 



THE OINOHONAS AT THE AMSTEKDAM EX- 

 HIBITION, 

 nv r. H.\EWOOD lhscheb, f. c. s. 



Among the marvellous products of nature and art from 

 the Dutch East Inchan Colonies, now being shown at 

 Amsterdam, nothing is more interesting than the cinchona 

 barks from Java, exhibited by the Government from the 

 Royal plantations. This island is so richly endowed by 

 nature that we must always reproach the Congress of 

 Vienna with taking from us our conquest of ISll by Lord 

 JIuito and Mr, (afterwards Sir Stamford) Raflles. After 

 enjoying the monopoly of the spice trade of Java for 250 

 years, the Dutch, as a practical people, are now develop- 

 ing the cinchona plantations; and this is now becoming 

 such an important question that I made some inquiries 

 iu Holland on its commercial aspects. 



The Cinchonas are so arranged as to form a handsome 

 exhibit. In the centre are large flat specimens of the barks, 

 and at either side logs of viooA with the barks still attached 

 These logs, 4 feet long, of various diameters, and worth 

 careful notice, are specimens of the following: — 



Cinchona Calisaya var. Leitgcriana, or C. Leihjcr'dna, as it 

 is here called, making it a distinct species. Diameter 



