The Agriculture of Worcestershire. 459 



I estimate the subsequent increase at 20 per cent., including the 

 hop-yards planted up to the present time, as the abolition of 

 the hop duty has given a great impetus to planting. This would 

 give a total at present of about 7000 acres. 



Fresh hop-yards are being planted on every side, and the 

 demand for poles during the season of 1866 was very large. 



The duty paid in this district has varied in a very extraordinary 

 manner: in 1823 only 4/. 3s, l\d. was paid; in 1840, 240?.; 

 while in 1846 the sum reached 36,008/., and in 1857, 35,930?. ; 

 but the duty is not a criterion of profits. The most profitable 

 years are those when there is a failure in Kent and other districts, 

 and a moderately good crop here. 



On the poorer class of farms hops are often injurious, in con- 

 sequence of the whole stock of manure being expended on them : 

 this inclines many landlords to forbid their growth ; but the evil, 

 I think, may be avoided by compelling the tenant to dress the hops 

 with artificial manure ; and this would be to his own advantage, 

 for bone-manures do not stimulate the growth of the tender bine 

 as much as ammoniacal-manure, and consequently the plant has 

 more strength to withstand the blight and produces a better 

 sample. 



The cost of planting a hop-yard is about 50/. per statute acre :* 

 poling costs 3U/. to 40/., and the expense of cultivation is about 

 20/., besides kilns or oasthouses. Much difference of opinion 

 exists as to the best system of planting, whether in rows or on the 

 square : in the former the rows are 7 feet apart and the stocks 

 3 feet apart in the row ; a greater quantity can no doubt be 

 grown on the land in this way. On the square system the stocks 

 are planted 7 feet apart each way ; this is preferable where the 

 land grows many weeds or requires much cultivation to pulverise 

 the soil, as it admits of working both ways between the poles. 

 In poling the hop-yard the great object is to set the poles in such 

 a manner that their tops are equidistant from those in other 

 rows. Two advantages are thereby gained : first, the sun-light 

 is equally distributed, which is essential for a good sample 

 (the most exposed growth being the best, and those inside the 

 worst) ; and secondly, the bines are not so liable to tie each other 

 together. 



The best hops are produced in the parishes of Lye, Alfrich, 

 and Lulsley. 



An eminent hop-merchant informs me that the farmers should 

 pay more attention to their kilns, drying, and picking, and says 

 there is generally a want of kiln-room. He also says that the 

 form of the kiln is not of so much importance as to have the hops 



* The local hop-acre is 1000 stocks, irrespective of area or distance. 



