Book VI. THE HOP. 8G1 



that it ought to be turned into the soil between the rows by the plough. Fifty cart loads 

 of dung and earth, or thirty of dung, once in three years, is reckoned a good dressing; 

 but some give ten or twelve loads every year. Too much dung renders the hops what 

 are called mouldy, and with too little the crop will be poor and more liable to be eaten 

 by insects. 



5412. Earthing-up commences the first May after planting, whetlier that operation 

 be performed in spring or autumn. By the end of tliat season, the young shoots 

 have made some progress, and the earth is then drawn up to their roots from the sur- 

 rounding intervals, in order to strengthen them. The next earthing-up is in autumn, 

 when the hills are by some covered with compost or manure ; but by such as prefer 

 ploughing in the manure between the rows, this earthing-up does not take place. Some 

 give an earthing-up of this kind in spring, and generally in February, chiefly to retard 

 the plants, as that is found to render them less liable to disease, and tlie attacks of insects : 

 for the shoots not beginning to grow till the weather is warm, they then shoot the more 

 rapidly. In April and May, their progress is slow ; but in June and July, when the 

 nights are warm, they will grow nearly an inch in the hour. The only essential earthings 

 up, however, are those given the first year in May, and tliose given annually whether in 



autumn or spring, and which indeed may be called replacings of earth, rather tlian earth- 

 ing-up, after the operation of dressing, to be next described. 



5413. /n dressing the hop plants, the operations of the first year are confined to 

 twisting and removing the haulm, to whidi some add cuping or earthing-up in autumn. 

 The operation of twisting, is confined to such plants as have been planted in spring, and 

 are not expected to produce any crop that season. It is performed in the end of June 

 or in July, and consists in twisting the young vines into a bunch or knot ; so that by 

 thus discouraging their growth, the roots are enabled to spread out more vigorously, and 

 to acquire strength previous to the approach of the winter season. 



, 5414. Removirig the haulfn takes place soon after Michaelmas, and consists simply in cutting it over 

 with a sickle, and earrj'ing it off" the field for litter, or burning. After this operation, some add cuping, 

 or covering the hill with a compost, but this does not apjiear necessary, and is in many cases left undone. 



5415. The first year'' s dressing of hops expected to produce flowers, such as those planted from bedded 

 sets the preceding autumn, consists in supplying three or four half poles, that is, poles of four or five feet 

 in length to each hill, and on removing the haulm in autumn, as in the other case. 



5416. The yearly dressing of established hop plantations consists of what is provincially called picking. 

 This operation is generally commenced on the return of good weather, in March, when the hills are spre^ 

 out, in order to give opportunity to prune and dress the stocks. The earth being then cleared away from 

 the principal roots by an iron instrument called a picker, the remains of the former years' vines are cut off, 

 together with the shoots which were not allowed to attach themselves to the poles the former season, and 

 also any young suckers that may have sprung up about the edges of the hills ; so that nothing is allowed to 

 remain'that is likely to injure the principal roots, or impede their shooting out strong vigorous vines at the 

 proper season. After the roots are properly cleaned and pruned, the hills are again formed, with an addi- 

 tion, if not every year, at least every second or third year, of a proper quantity of compost manure, that 

 had been previously laid in small heaps on the hop-ground in the course of the winter, or in the early 

 part of spring. At this season such sets are procured as may be wanted for the nursery, or for new 

 plantations. 



5417. The yearly operation of stacking or setting the poles, commences towards the end 

 of April, or at whatever period, earlier or later, the shoots have risen two or three inches. 

 The poles are straight slender shoots of underwood, ash, oak, chestnut, or willow, from 

 sixteen to twenty feet high. These poles are set two, but more frequently three, to a 

 hill : they are so placed as to leave an opening towards the south, to admit the sun- 

 beams. The manner of fixing them is by making deep holes or openings in the ground 

 with an iron crow. Into these holes the root-ends are put, when the earth is rammed so 

 hard about them, that they very seldom alter from the position in which they were placed, 

 except on occasion of very violent gales of wind. Great care is necessary in placing the 

 poles, and no less judgment and experience in determining what ought to be the proper 

 height. When very long poles are set in a hop ground, where the stocks are too old or 

 too young, or where the soil is of inditferent quality, the stocks are not only greatly ex- 

 hausted, but the crop always turns out unproductive; as, till the vines reach the top, or 

 rather till they overtop the poles, which depends on the strength of the stocks and the 

 quality of the soil, the lateral branches on which the hops grow, never begin to shoot out, 

 or make any progress. 



5418. Planters are much divided in their sentiments as to the number of poles to be set against each hill. 

 Three poles are the general allowance, observing to place the stoutest pole to the northern aspect of 

 the hill ; though it is no uncommon practice to set four poles, and in strong land five or six, to a hill. In 

 behalf of this latter mode it is urged, that, where the land usually produces a great redundancy of vine, 

 it is prudent to set a number of poles answerable to the luxuriancy of the shoots. But, if a free circula- 

 tion of the air be a matter of that importance to the well-being of a crop of hops, as is generally imagined, 

 (and this is a doctrine which it is believed cannot be controverted), the incumbrance of the hills, with an 

 additional number of poles, cannot fail to be of infinite dis-service to the future growth of the hops ; 

 and it will be readily acknowledged, that the quantity of hops on the same given number of hills will 

 be more considerable, where three poles only are set up, than when the hills are crowded with a larger 

 ijumber ; whether we consider the mischief likely to accrue from the stagnated air, or from the redundai;cy 

 of the vine, by which the hops are prevented from arriving to their proper size or growth. The 

 chief art in poling a hop-ground is, first, to pitch the hole to a proper depth, about twenty inches : 

 next to set down the pole with some exertion of strength, so th^ the same being well sharpened may fix 



