MISCELLANEOUS CROPS 639 



a substantial increase both in the yield and quality of the hops pro- 

 duced would result. 



Trellises. Except in the hop-growing regions of New York, 

 the use of hop poles has been largely discontinued in those regions 

 where there is a scarcity of available timber, and even in heavily 

 wooded sections many growers have dispensed with them. This is 

 not due to the labor and expense of handling alone, but experience 

 has proved that the 'advantages of growing hops on strings so far sur- 

 pass the growth on poles that it is only a question of time when poles 

 will be almost entirely abandoned. The hops are healthier on strings, 

 more successfully sprayed, mature earlier, are usually richer and 

 brighter, arm out lower, and are not so leafy; they do not wind- 

 whip so readily, can be picked cleaner, and are much more easily 

 torn down for picking. Also the hops can be picked without cutting 

 the vine, a practice which is harmful, since it prevents the return of 

 materials from the vine to the root of the hop, and, by causing a 

 loss of food reserves to the stock, produces a weakening effect on the 

 succeeding crop. 



For a permanent yard some form of wire trellis will doubtless 

 give the best satisfaction in most sections. In sections where timber 

 is plentiful the first cost somewhat exceeds that of the pole system, 

 but the saving 1 in labor, the advantages afforded in spraying, and the 

 heavier crop obtained by this method have uniformly reduced the 

 cost of hop production where poles have been replaced by wire 

 trellises. 



The wire trellis is constructed in almost numberless ways, but 

 these may all be included in two general classes or types the high 

 and the low trellis. The high trellis is most widely used, and upon 

 it the greatest improvements have been made. 



The High Trellis. The high- wire system consists essentially 

 in setting posts at every sixth or seventh hill throughout the yard. 

 Over the tops of these posts wires are stretched across the yard each 

 way at right angles. Posts are also set at the ends of the intervening 

 rows, between which wires are stretched over the rows. These wires 

 are fastened to the cross wires, and strings led up to them from the 

 hills support the vines. 



For posts, which may be either split or sawed timber, suitable 

 hard wood or creosoted pine is used. Theseposts are usually from 4 

 to 6 inches in diameter and 20 feet long. Tne end posts should not 

 be less than 6 by 6 inches, but somewhat lighter timbers may be used 

 for interior supports. The posts are set from 154 to 2 feet in the 

 ground, the interior ones upright 2 those in the outside rows inclin- 

 ing somewhat outward. At a distance of about 14 feet outward 

 from the foot of each end post an anchor, made of a piece of timber 

 6 by 6 inches and 4 feet long, is buried at a depth of 4 to 6 feet, ac- 

 cording to the tenacity of the soil. Anchors made from locust are 

 preferred, because of the lasting quality of the wood. A strong guy 

 wire is run from the top of the post and fastened securely to the an- 

 chor; or the string wire may be run over the top of the end post and 

 down to the anchor. 



