MISCELLANEOUS CROPS 641 



at the top. Good hemp is often used for the top string instead of 

 cotton cord. The string may be fastened to the wires by means of a 

 special knot-tying device attached to the end of a long pole, but the 

 plan pursued in the trellis fields where the drop-wire system is used 

 is simply to unhook and lower the string wire to which the strings 

 may then be attached by the workmen while standing on the ground. 

 The strings, which are cut to the desired lengths and knotted in ad- 

 vance, are fastened to the wires about 20 inches from a point on the 

 wire directly over the center of each hill. Usually but two strings 

 are used for each hill, and when all have been fastened to the wire it 

 is again hooked up in place on the cross wires. 



Another plan is to use a "trellis wagon," on which is a platform 

 of such elevation that the workmen thereon may move about freely 

 beneath the wires while attaching the strings. The wagon follows 

 the string wire across the field. Two or three men on the wagon will 

 put the strings on two wires as fast as the team can walk. Four men 

 following the wagon can fasten the ends of the strings to small stakes 

 set in the ground at each hill. 



In the pole yards of New York a loop in one end of the string is 

 passed over the top of the pole by means of a forked stick, and then 

 drawn taut. The remaining end is then fastened to the adjacent 

 pole in the next row about 5 feet from the ground. Frequently an- 

 other string is fastened from pole to pole at the same distance above 

 ground. 



Training. When the young vines are about 2 feet long 

 training is begun. Usually the four runners most closely approach- 

 ing in length the average of the field are selected from each hill and 

 the remainder are cut off. In case of an uneven stand it may be well 

 to cut off the whole field and wait for the second set of runners. 

 However, vines which may be inferior at first sometimes develop a 

 vigorous growth after they have reached a length of 4 or 5 feet. As 

 a general rule, in all light producing sections it is advisable to train 

 the first runners; in heavy producing sections the second runners 

 should be chosen. Two runners are usually trained to each string, 

 care being taken to twine them from left to right about the string. 



It has been shown that under certain conditions the yield per 

 hill is directly proportional to the number of vines trained. Except 

 on very heavy cropping land better results should follow when six 

 vines to each hill are trained than with a smaller number. 



In the New York yards many farmers train seven vines up each 

 pole, three for the long string and two each for the other string and 

 the pole. 



PICKING. 



Time to Pick. The time when hops should be picked varies 

 with the locality, the season, and the variety cultivated. When the 

 acreage is large there is a tendency to start picking before the crop 

 is fully mature, as otherwise a portion may be lost through becom- 

 ing overripe. Also a gjreat consideration with many growers is the 

 early engagement of pickers. To this end it is customary in some 

 sections to plant an early-bearing variety, e. g., Fuggles, which ripens 



