Cultivation of Arable Land. Hops Difcafcs of Pica. 243 



In mod cafes the very forward binds fuffjr more from all the different. accidents 

 to which hop crops are expofed, than thofe that are later and of a lefs Vigorous 

 growth. It may, on this account, therefore, fometimes be advifable to remove 

 all the very forward binds. 



Thefe crops are expofed to the attacks of difeafe at almod every period of their 

 growth. In the very early dage of the growth of the hop plant, it is liable to be 

 \vholly devoured, as it rifes above the furfuce of the ground, by the ravages of the 

 flea. And, in a more advanced date, it is fubject to the dill more prejudicial 

 attack of the green or long- winged fly , redfpider, and otter moth : the fird of thefe, 

 by the depofit of their ova, afford the means of producing lie: in great abundance ; 

 by which the plants are often very greatly if not wholly deftroyed, and 

 the larvae of the lad prey upon the roots, and thus render the plants weak and 

 liable to be attacked by other difeafes.* The honey dew is likewife another difeafe 

 to which the crops are expofed about the fame time, and by which they are often 

 much hurt. The mould or fen moftly occurs at a fomewhat later period, but 

 Is equally prejudicial in its effects. There are ftill other injuries to which hop- 

 crops are expofed, fuch as the blight, and what is termed the blaft, which occur 

 at different times, but moftly towards the latter periods of the growth of the 

 plants. 



1\\tflea&amp;gt; which is afferted to be an infect of the fame kind as that which is fo 

 deftructive to the young turnip, is faid to make the grcatefthavock in thofe feafons 

 when the nights are cold and frofty and the days hot and inclined to be dry. In its 

 attacks it eats off the fweet tender tops of the young plants ; and which, though 

 they are not wholly deftroyed by it, (hoot forth afterwards in a much lefs ftrongand 

 vigorous manner ; from which they become more expofed to the attacks of other 

 vegetable difeafes. It has been remarked that this infect is the mod apt to commit 

 its depredations on the plants in thofe grounds that have received a proportion of 

 dung the fame year. And on the fuppofition that dung in its crude date has a ten 

 dency to encourage the production of this infect, it has been fuggeded that the 

 manure employed for the purpofe of covering the hills mould be previoufly well 

 mixed and incorporated with good frefti mould for a confiderablc length of time 

 before it is made ufe of, as has been already directed ; and that ii mould be applied 

 either over the whole of the land, or only the hills, immediately after the plants have- 

 been cut over: the firft is the mod advifable practice where manure can be 

 eafily obtained. 



* Withering s Botanical Arrangement, vol. II. 



VOL. ii. K k 



