hop. 237 



Fiue foot from another, ech hillocke would stand 

 as straight as a leuelled line with the hand : 



Let euery hillocke be fower foot wide, 

 the better to come to on euery side. 



By willowes that groweth, thy hopyard without, 

 and also by hedges, thy meadowes about ; 



Good hop hath a pleasure to climb and to spread, 

 if sunne may haue passage, to comfort hirhead. 



For the month of April the same author 

 continues, 



Get into thy hopyard, with plentie of poles, 



amongst the same hillocks, diuide them by doles : 



Three poles to a hillocke (I pass not how long) 

 shall yield thee more profit, set deeply and strong. 



For May. 



Get into thy hopyard, for now it is time 



to teach Robin hop on his pole how to clime : 



To follow the sunne, as his property is, 



and weed him and trim him, if aught go amis. 



For August. 



If hops do look brownish, then are ye too slow, 

 if longer ye suffer those hops for to grow : 



Now sooner ye gather, more profit is found, 

 if weather be fair, and dew off the ground. 



Not breake off, but cut off, from hop the hop string, 

 leaue growing a little, again for the spring: 



Whose hil about pared, and therewith new clad, 

 shal nourish more sets, against March to be had. 



