The Ar/riculture of Worcestershire. 461 



of about 60 yards in the rows. At tlie top of each pole is a 

 horizontal cross-piece, from either end of which one horizontal 

 wire (No. 1) is stretched to the cross-piece of the next pole. 

 Near the bottom a third wire is stretched (No. 2) from pole to 

 pole ; to these three horizontal wires other and nearly vertical 

 wires are attached, their lower end being fastened to the lower 

 horizontal wire, and the upper end alternately to one or other or 

 the two upper horizontal wires. 



It is calculated that the poles and wires, being permanently 

 fixed, will last at least twenty years, and the first cost is stated to 

 be little, if at all, greater than that of a good poling. A royalty 

 of 3/. per acre is charged, and the patentee will instruct and assist 

 the grower. 



The cost of the above was stated to be 33?. per acre ; but as it 

 has been found necessary to increase the size of some of the wires, 

 it may extend up to 40Z. per acre. It is difficult to estimate 

 exactly the comparative cost of poles or wires, much depending 

 on the amount of annual repair which the wire will require within 

 the twenty years it is supposed to last. Poles within the same 

 period would require two renewals, viz., at the end of seven and 

 fourteen years, costing each time for poles 28Z., creosoting '2.1. ; 

 in all 90Z., apart from the question of the interest payable. 

 When poles are used, there is the expense of hauling ; and they 

 have to be sharpened and put up, besides being moved to work 

 the land in the spring, which items involve a large annual ex- 

 pense. There is this distinction between the wire and the pole, 

 that if each be 13 feet long, it will take a longer bine to reach the 

 top of the pole than to climb the wire. Authorities, however, 

 are not agreed as to whether it is better for the hop to overtop its 

 support or to have a longer prop ; and I have not made up my 

 own mind on the subject. A third point to be considered is the 

 tying : the bine clings so naturally to the wire, that when once 

 started right it requires no more attention. In the question 

 of picking I apprehend there would be very little difference as 

 regards cost, from the crop being picked off the wires on a moveable 

 frame ; but the wires have, in my opinion, an immense advantage, 

 because, unlike the poles, they do not require the bines to be cut. 

 This cutting, while the sap is up, must weaken and injure the root, 

 and damage the following crops ; to this cause we may to a 

 great extent attribute the want of so much manure to stimulate 

 the plant and also the deterioration of the old hop-yards ; for we 

 see no reason why, with proper management, a hop-yard should 

 ever become exhausted. For some years many of the leading hop- 

 growers have been aware of the injury done to the root by cutting 

 the bine, and have consequently had them cut off as far from the 

 ground as possible. It is also remarked that in those parts of the 



