THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



109 



for three or four times. He. says the 

 curculio will not go near the Paris 

 Green, and consequently the fruit will 

 be saved from the insect. 



The same treatment will save the' 

 most delicate apples from being pierced 

 by insects that destroy so many of 

 them, and other fruit in the same 

 manner. 



And then after the insect season is 

 past, there is plenty of time for rain to 

 wash all the Paris Green off the fruit. 

 The quantity is so small that in any 

 case it would do no harm, as one 

 dessert spoonful will do several trees. 



I thought the experiment was worth 

 knowing. With kindest wishes, I 

 have the honor to be, 



Yours faithfuUy, B. Allen. 



THE CULTIVATION OF HOPS. 



Dear Sir, — Will you please let me 

 know through your valuable Horticul- 

 turist something on the plantingand cul- 

 tivation of hops] I have a piece of 

 very heavy clay land, sloping towards 

 the west. Would it be suitable for 

 hops ] How are they propagated ? 

 What will it cost per acre for plants ] 

 How are they set out and trained 1, 

 What kind of manure is best] The 

 soil is strong. 



Yours etc., 



W. H. Hodges. 



Ops, March, 4th., 1886. 



LOCATION. 



In the selection of a site for the hop- 

 yard it is very important that one be 

 chosen where there is a free circulation 

 of air and full exposure to the sun. 

 Low and damp locations are to be 

 avoided, for the reason that the hop-vine 

 is subject to be attacked by a vegetable 

 fungus known as tJie mould, which 

 flourishes in wet seasons and damp 

 locations. Dryness checks the growth 

 of this fungus, hence the importance of 

 a free circulation of air and sunlight. 



SOIL. 



As the roots of the hop- vine are 

 liable to suffer from drought it is im- 

 portant that there be a good depth of 

 soil, and that it be abundantly supplied 

 with vegetable matter. Hence in pre- 

 paring the ground, it should be deeply 

 andthorougly sub-soil ploughed. Again, 

 the hop plant is very sensitive to super- 

 abundance of water in the ground, so 

 that in soils not naturally underdrained 

 it will be necessary to thoroughly 

 underdrain the hop-yard. Stronir, rich 

 land, having a very considerable depth 

 of soil and thoroughly drained, is an 

 essential requisite to success. 



PLANTING. 



The usual distance in this country 

 is seven feet apart each way, which 

 gives 888 hills to the acre. One strong 

 healthy plant is sufficient to each hill, 

 but planters usually set two or three to 

 guard against failures from any cause. 

 The roots should be spread out, covered 

 with fine mould, ])ressed fijmly about 

 them. In England the hills are raised, 

 but in our climate level culture is the 

 rule. As the hop is dioecious it is 

 necessary to have a number of male 

 plants distributed through the plant- 

 ation Some planters say that half a 

 dozen to the acre is sufficient, others 

 set three times that number. The best 

 plants are those that have been bedded 

 in the previous spring and made a 

 season's growth. 



CULTIVATION. 



The hops will require to be su})plied 

 with poles, two to the hill, tapered to a 

 point at the bottom, and about twenty 

 feet in length. These can be thrust 

 into holes made with a crowbar a foot 

 apart and with the tops inclined from 

 each other. Two shoots may be trained 

 to each pole, fastening them with woollen 

 yarn as they require, because of its 

 elasticity. The ground will requii-e to 

 bo kept perfectly clean and mellow with 



