Ch. XXX.] HOPS—CULTURE. 341 



equally efficacious in promoting the fertility of the soil, but because they 

 view it as effecting every desirable purpose at a much less expense. 



" This," as has been justly observed by Mr, Stevenson, in his Survey of 

 Surrey, " may perhaps be true, if the double-digging be deemed a part 

 merely of the preparation ; but if it is regarded, as it ought to be, in con- 

 nexion with the future management of the plantation, it will probably be 

 found not only more efficacious, but, on the whole, cheaper than any trench- 

 ploughing that can be given ; for it is evident, that in proportion to the care 

 and labour bestowed upon it, will be the ease with which it may be worked 

 during the continuance of the hops. When this circumstance is duly 

 weighed, and the great importance of having the soil free and absorbent 

 during the infancy of the plant is also taken into the account, the gi'eater 

 expense and labour attending trenching two-spit deep cannot justly be con- 

 sidered as unprofitable : trench-ploughing, however, will always meet with 

 advocates and practisers among those who prefer a present saving to a 

 future gain.'' 



When the ground has been got into perfect order, the general method is 

 to draw a line parallel to one of the hedges, at the distance of a few feet 

 from it, and to mete it each way with a gunter's chain, in the links of which 

 bits of rag are fastened to ascertain the position of the hills, in which the 

 sets are to be planted ; which are then marked with pieces of short stick. 

 This varies extremely ; some placing them in rows at the distance of from 

 seven to eight feet, and three to four feet apart from each other, wiiile 

 others adopt all the intermediate spaces. Near Farnham, the usual dis- 

 tance is from five feet to two yards square, and in most parts of Kent a 

 four-rod chain is used with a rag in every tenth link; thus fixing 1000 

 hills to the acre — some in regular rows, others in the quincunx fashion ; 

 but most generally in the latter, as the plants thereby have more room, and 

 when they grow up the current of air becomes more broken. 



The vsval time for planting is about the beginning or the middle of 

 March ; though sometimes, when young shoots are employed, they are 

 planted in the month of October, and the sets that are used for this purpose 

 are commonly " one year nurslings." These are cut off, in the preceding 

 spring, from the lower part^f the stem of the old hop, while it is dressing ; 

 they are then planted by themselves in a nursery, and the strongest of ihem 

 are chosen next year for setting in the regular hop-ground. The usual 

 length of the cuttings is four or five inches : it is desirable that they should 

 have three or four buds ; and, if very luxuriant when taken up to be planted, 

 their tops and roots should be pruned. " Naked setts " are cut from the 

 lower part of the stem, or, more properly speaking, from the crown of the 

 root, and are immediately planted in the hop-ground ; but they are less 

 quick in arriving at a proper state for planting than nurslings, and have 

 been found to be later by a year in becoming productive and arriving at 

 maturity *. 



When the spots for the different hills have been marked out, the earth 

 is dug out of each to the depth of about two feet, and of nearly the same 

 width ; and these, if a portion of fine garden mould can be got, or, if not, 



* The practice of nurserymen, with respect to the plants from which they take cut- 

 tings, has been recommended, viz.: — " Instead of the shoot Irom the parent stock, to 

 twist it merely at the joint, where it is intended to be put into the ground ; to fasten this 

 into the earth, and having cut off' the tup within one or two buds of the ground, to 

 leave it there till it strikes root: it may then be entirely divided irom the parent stock, 

 and left till the time of planting." — Stevenson's Kep. of Surrey, p. 339. 



