855 



THE HOP. 



mass together at the top. Cedar poles are most dur- 

 able; in Washington they are sawed out or split about 

 3x3 inches, 16 feet or more in length, for the long pole 

 system, and 10 feet long for the short pole. An eight- 

 penny nail is driven in the top, projecting out about an 

 inch, in the short or stake system; on the long pole, 

 about a foot from its top, put through a peg a foot long 

 and three-fourths of an inch thick for the vine 

 to cling to. This and the sharpening of the 

 poles is done in the woods or at the mill. 

 In California and Oregon the poles are split in 

 the same manner as fence rails. Redwood poles are 



FIG. 32. HORIZONTAL HOP YARD, NEW YORK. 



quite extensively used in California, and they last an 

 indefinite length of time. In some yards the same poles 

 have been used for the last 25 years. In Oregon those 

 growers who adopt the pole system use young firs, 

 which grow abundantly in that state. They aim to get 

 a pole three inches thick and about sixteen feet long. 

 In New York and abroad, round poles are used, from 

 saplings, and are not as high as those on the coast. 



Stand the poles upright in a tank containing two 

 feet of creosote or coal tar, and let them simmer over 

 a slow fire for a night; this will prevent the butts from 

 rotting and is a big saving. Cedar, ash, redwood, chest- 



