HUM 



HUM 



mould well round them, and covering them 

 with fine mould as they are finished off. 



The proper season tor performing this busi- 

 ness is in the early spring, as in the latter end of 

 March or beginning of April. 



When the plantation has been thus formed, 

 the next care is to keep it clean from weeds, by 

 frequent hoeing. The first operation should be 

 performed in May, choosing dry weather: and as 

 the work proceeds, a little mould should be 

 drawn round about each hill to form a greater 

 body of earth immediately about the plants, 

 continuing the hoeings during the summer, as 

 there shall be occasion. 



The plants shoot forth into tolerably strong 

 vines early the same year; so that in May small 

 poles may be placed to each hill for them to 

 run up on, and they will produce a few hops the 

 same year ; though some do not pole them at all 

 ♦he first season, which is a better practice, only 

 twist the vine into a bunch in June, at the top 

 of each hill, regardless of any crop, as it is apt 

 to weaken the young plants. 



In the spring following, in February or March, 

 it is necessary to dress orprunethehops; when the 

 ground must be dug or ploughed, and the earth 

 about thehills of plants be removed from the stocks 

 orroots, clearing it quite away from the tops of the 

 principal roots with an iron picker, for the con- 

 venience of pruning close to the head of the stock ; 

 then with a sharp knife trim off all the shoots of 

 last year, or the remaining part of them, close 

 to the heads of the stocks or sets ; clearing away 

 also all young suckers, and directly trim in the 

 earth around each hill, and cover the stocks 

 with mould two or three inches thick. The same 

 process must be repeated annually. 



After this the plants soon shoot forth into 

 vine, or bind; when long poles, about fifteen or 

 twenty feet in length, must be placed for them 

 to run upon. April, or the beginning of 

 May, when the shoots are a foot long, is the 

 proper season for this work : three poles must be 

 set to each hill, around the outside, let deep in- 

 to the ground, by making holes for them with 

 an iron crow, so as to place them with their 

 tops inclining a little outward from each other, 

 to keep the plants from entangling, and a space 

 between two of them be left open toward the 

 south, to admit the sun more freely. 



When thus poled, they naturally twine them- 

 selves about the poles, directing such with the 

 hand as do not readily catch hold of themselves, 

 turning them the way of the sun's apparent 

 motion, tying them loosely with dried rushes 

 or other soft bandages, training two or three 

 vines to each pole; all above that number, 

 being plucked up, if the plantation be old ; but 



if young, wrap- them up together in the middle 

 of 'the hills. 



The next work is that of summer-digging, 

 which should be done in the beginning of June. 

 This is digging about the hills, and casting up 

 some fine earth around, and upon each ; which 

 is sometimes repeated again the beginning of 

 July, to make all the hills of a proper sub- 

 stance, for the better nourishing of the plants. 

 And after the plants arc grown up, where any 

 of them are found uuder-pokd, tiller poles 

 must be placed near those that arc too short, to 

 receive the vines from them ; for, unless they 

 have due length of pole, they will not yield a 

 full crop ; and if the vines are very strong and 

 over-top the poles, it is common to strike oft 

 the heads of the shoots \\ ith a, switch, wherebv 

 they throw out manv lateral branches, well 

 charged with clusters of fruit. In July they 

 blow, and towards the end of August begin to 

 ripen ; the signs of which are, the bunches of 

 fruit imparting astrong hop-like scent, becom- 

 ing dry and hard to the touch, and the brownish 

 colour of the seed. They are then fit for ga- 

 thering, when they should be picked with all 

 possible expedition; for a sudden storm of 

 wind!, or great rains, would do considerable da- 

 mage, by breaking down the vines, and disco- 

 louring the Hops. This work must be per- 

 formed in dry weather, if possible. And a cer- 

 tain number of hills in a square space is to be 

 -cleared at a time, generally about eleven, and a 

 large square bin, or wooden frame, eight feet 

 long by three broad, having a cloth within, 

 hanging on tenter-hooks, is to be placed in the 

 centre to receive the Hops ; then proceeding by 

 cutting up the vines of the above number of 

 hills, and pulling up the poles, using a wooden 

 instrument like a lever, having at one end a 

 forked piece of iron, with teeth on the inside, 

 which will readily raise them out of the ground; 

 then laying two poles at a time across the bin, 

 two or three persons standing on each side, in 

 order to pick the Hops into it, picking them 

 very clean without leaves and stalks; and as the 

 bin is filled, it must be emptied two or three 

 times a dav, as there may be occasion, into a 

 Hop-bag, and carried to the kiln to dry. This 

 is the same as a malt-kiln, being covered with a 

 haircloth, on which to spread the Hops, which 

 should be spread ten or twelve inches thick : 

 acharcoalheatiscommonly used; continuing an 

 even steady fire, not fierce, but rather increased 

 by degrees. In about nine hours the Hops 

 should" be turned, and in two or three hours more 

 they may be taken oft": by that time the brittle- 

 nes's of their stalks, and easy falling off" of the 

 leaves, deterjniue them to be sufficiently dried. 

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