234 Select Plants for Industrial Culture and 



Hordeum zeocriton, Linne.* 



Central Asia. A Two-rowed Barley. To this species belong the 

 Sprat-, the Battledore-, the Fulham- and the Putney-barley, the 

 Bice-barley, the Turkish-barley and the Dinkel. This species might 

 be regarded as a variety of A. distichon. The grains do not drop 

 spontaneously, and this kind is securer than others against sparrows ; 

 requires however a superior soil and is harder in straw [Laiigethal], 



Kovenia dulcis, Thunberg. 



Himalaya, China, Japan. The pulpy fruit-stalks of this tree are 

 edible. The plant is hardy still at Philadelphia ; it dislikes drought. 

 H. inasqualis (De Candolle) and H. acerba (Lindley) are mere 

 varieties of this species. 



Humulus Iiupulus, Linne.* 



The Hop-plant. Temperate zone of Europe, Asia and North- 

 America, Very hardy, being indigenous in Norway to lat. 64 12' 

 and cultivated to lat. 69 40' [Schuebeler]. This twining perennial 

 unisexual plant is known to yield enormously on river-banks in 

 rich soil or on fertile slopes, where irrigation can be effected. A 

 pervious, especially alluvial soil, fertile through manure or other- 

 wise, appliances for irrigation natural or artificial, and also shelter 

 against storms are some of the conditions for success in hop-growth, 

 and under such conditions the raising of hops will prove thus far 

 profitable in countries and localities of very different mean-tem- 

 perature. A dry summer season is favorable to the ripening and 

 gathering of hops. On the Mitchell-Biver, in Gippsland, 1,500 Ibs. 

 have been obtained from an acre ; on the King-River, in Victoria, 

 even as much as 2,286 Ibs. in one particular year. In Tasmania 

 large crops have been realized for very many years. The plant 

 might be readily naturalized on river-banks and in forest-valleys. 

 The scaly fruit-catkins form the commercial hops, whose value 

 largely depends on the minute glandular granules of lupuline. 

 Hops impart their flavor to beer, prevent acetous fermentation, and 

 precipitate albuminous substances from the malt principally by 

 their tannic acid. Hop-pillows are recommended to overcome want 

 of sleep. Many of the substitutes for hops are objectionable or 

 deleterious. The refuse of hops of breweries possesses double the 

 value of stable-manure. Great Britain imported in 1884 nearly 

 13,000 tons of hops valued at 1,600,000 ; in 1889 about 10,000 

 tons of the value of 713,000. The Victorian import during 1887 

 was 788,968 Ibs. valued at 42,422. Active principles of hop- 

 leaves and fruits : a peculiar volatile and bitter acid substance. 

 The fibre of the stein can be made into cords and paper. The young 

 shoots can be used for food, dressed like asparagus. 



Hydnum coralloides, Scopoli. 



Europe, Asia, North- and South-America. In Cashmere, where 

 this mushroom inhabits hollow trunks of Pinus Webbiana, called 

 the Koho-Khur. Common on dead wood in forests in the United 

 States. Cooked, of excellent taste. 



