THE FIELD FOR HOPS IN IDAHO. 



183 



tern, while new, is popular 

 for several reasons. In 

 planting, the hills are in 

 rows both ways and seven 

 feet apart, with two plants 

 to the hill. This makes 881 

 hills to the acre, or double 

 that number of roots, which 

 cost about $3.00 per 1,000. 

 In putting up " trellis" a line 

 of posts extending thirteen 

 feet above ground is set the 

 whole length of a row, the 

 posts being fifty-six feet 

 apart, or a distance of eight 

 hills. Each row has a line 

 of posts. Over the top of 

 these posts are stretched a 

 number eight galvanized 

 wire. Heavy cotton twine is 

 thrown over this wire so as 

 to rest half way between 

 each pair of hills, while the 

 twine is staked down at the 

 hills. Up about halfway the 



twines are tied together immediately over the hills, 

 thus clearing the way for horse and man to pass 

 through in cultivating with plows, etc. The roots 

 throw out many vines or shoots, all of which are 

 cut off, except two from each root. These are 

 trained up the twine, the foui vines of each hill 

 curling into a rope up to where the twines separate, 

 and they are then trailed along these to the right and 

 left until the wire is reached, 

 to which the vines cling and 

 hang in festoons. After the 

 ground is well worked by 

 cultivators, two furrows are 

 run with a shovel-plow to 

 make ditches for the water 

 to run. This trellis system 

 is anchored not only at the 

 ends of each row but also 

 crossways, by means of wire 

 firmly staked all around and 

 extending over the top of 

 each post. Thus secured 

 the vines cannot be seriously 

 injured by winds. The posts 

 used for trellis are 4x4 scant- 

 ling. At this writing the 

 vines are literally loaded 

 with hops, the bolls being 

 from one to three and one- 

 half inches long. They ex- 

 pect an average yield of 



HOPS ON WIRES. 



over 1,500 pounds per acre, and that next season 

 this will be doubled. The varieties are the English 

 Kent Golding, the American from Yakima country, 

 and the Bavarian, their quality rating in the lines 

 named above. No one can look at this beautiful 

 field of hops without being charmed with it, and 

 being possessed with .the idea that this is to become 

 one of the important industries of these arid regions. 



HOPS ON POLES. 



