254 VmHatlon in Wild Hop 



Characters associated with the Reproductive Organs in the $ plants. 



No differences, apart from the time of flowering, were detected in 

 the pistillate spikes of the female plants but as the "hops" reached 

 maturity variation was observed with respect to (1) size and shape of the 

 hops, (2) " condition " (richness in lupulin glands), (3) aroma, (4) colour 

 of "strig" (axis of the strobile). 



Size and Shape of the Hops. As already pointed out these seedlings 

 of the wild hop plant are on the whole much later in flowering than the 

 commercial varieties grown in this country ; in consequence the hops of 

 many of the plants never grow out to their full size ; their lateness, 

 again, makes those plants which are susceptible to mildew liable to in- 

 fection when in the "burr" or flowering stage so that in many cases 

 the plant has to be recorded year after year as "crop destroyed by 

 mildew." Thus the characters of the hops of some plants could not be 

 taken at all and those of other plants could only be recorded in one or 

 two seasons. A good proportion however yielded hops which were avail- 

 able for examination in from three to five seasons and the evidence 

 obtained indicates that some plants have a tendency to produce, in suc- 

 cessive years, hops larger than the average and a few produce relatively 

 very broad hops. 



As the hops even on one bine vary considerably in size it was decided 

 to take for measurement only the largest well-developed ones. It was 

 found that in the majority of the plants the well-developed hops varied 

 in size from 1"0 x 0*6 inches to 1"3 x 0"8 inches and were generally ovoid 

 to ovoid cylindrical in shape. The Table below shows the fluctuation 



Length of well-developed hops in inches. 



the vigour of the plant was apparently normal, except that in 1917 the laterals were shorter 

 than in the previous year ; notes show that the plant in 1918 was "rather weak," in 1919 

 it was "weak, with small leaves," while in 1920 it reached only to about half its usual 

 height and bore no flowers. The glands on the other organs however did not show a 

 corresponding diminution in number, in fact those on the leaves showed an increase after 

 the first year. The glands on the receptacle of this plant were recorded as follows : 



1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 



2 — 12 1 — B — 4 0(1) no flowers present. 



