OBSERVATIONS ON VEGETABLES. 353 



HOPS. The culture of Virgil's vines corresponded very 

 exactly with the modern management of hops. I might 

 instance in the perpetual diggings and hoeings, in the tying 

 to the stakes and poles, in pruning the superfluous shoots, 

 &c. ; but lately I have observed a new circumstance, which 

 was, a neighbouring farmer's harrowing between the rows 

 of hops with a small triangular harrow, drawn by one horse, 

 and guided by two handles. This occurrence brought to my 

 mind the following passage : 



Flectere luctantes inter vineta juvencos." 



Oeorgic 11. 



The struggling steers between the vine-rows bend. 



Hops are dioecious plants: hence, perhaps, it might be 

 proper, though not practised, to leave purposely some male 

 plants in every garden, that their farina might impregnate 

 the blossoms. The female plants, without their male at- 

 tendants, are not in their natural state: hence we may 

 suppose the frequent failure of crop so incident to hop- 

 grounds. No other growth, cultivated by man, has such fre- 

 quent and general failures as hops. 



Two hop-gardens much injured by a hail-storm, June 5, 

 show now (September 2) a prodigious crop, and larger and 

 fairer hops than any in the parish. The owners seem now 

 to be convinced that the hail by beating off" the tops of the 

 binds has increased the side-shoots, and improved the crop. 

 Query. Therefore, should not the tops of hops be pinched 

 off when the binds are very gross and strong ? WHITE. 



SEED LYING DORMANT . The naked part of the Hanger 

 is now covered with thistles of various kinds. The seeds of 

 these thistles may have lain probably under the thick shade 

 of the beeches for many years, but could not vegetate till 

 the sun and air were admitted. When old beech-trees are 

 cleared away, the naked ground, in a year or two, becomes 

 covered with strawberry plants, the seeds of which must 

 have lain in the ground for an age at least. One of the 

 slidders, or trenches, down the middle of the Hanger, close 

 covered over with lofty beeches near a century old, is still 

 called strawberry-slidder, though no strawberries have grown. 



