CULTIVATION OF PLANTS. 201 



The roots for planting must be taken, as is well known among all hop 

 growers, from what is called the sprout roots. These are entirely different from 

 the ground roots. The latter, like roots of other plants, support the stalk, and, 

 having no eyes, would not, if planted, produce a blade. Whereas the sprout 

 roots appear to be arms, shooting out under ground, and if unmolested, would 

 throw up tops from every pair of eyes at every distance of about six inches. 

 These sprout roots are cut, as I have said, into lengths of about one foot for 

 planting, allowing three pairs of eyes to a piece. 



The distance between hills is important. On rich soil, well husbanded, they 

 should be further apart than on that of poor or medium quality. At my last 

 planting on a deep rich loam, I put the hills eight and a half feet apart by mea- 

 sure, and with which I am satisfied. On poor soil seven feet distance might 

 do. If they be too near each other, there is too much shade, and the fruit is 

 both small in quantity and poor in quality. 



The poles should be of a proper length, twenty feet or more, on rich land 

 and on poor land shorter. If poles are too short, the bind or vine, after run- 

 ning to the top, doubles down, and running round, makes a great bushy head, 

 or otherwise strikes off to the poles of the neighbouring hills. In the last case 

 there may be ten or twenty hills with the vines completely interlocked, pro- 

 ducing a very unpleasant effect. This is what the English call "housing" the 

 connected tops bearing some resemblance to the roof of a house. The conse- 

 quence is, that the fruit L-rrnvs in the shade and single instead of in clusters, 

 soft, green, feeble and deficient in strength. It also makes the picking slow and 

 troublesome, and the labour of the box-tenders much more severe. 



The open in if and dressing of the hills is another important epoch of the sea- 

 son. I begin as soon as the frost is out of the ground by back furrowing length- 

 wise and crosswise with a strong team, usually two pair of oxen, and two bouts 

 in a row. Then come the men with the prong hoes, throwing off the soil from 

 the top and sides of the hill and hauling up the sprout roots, as they come to 

 them, and opening the hill, as far down as they can, without injury to the 

 ground roots. We take pains to make the hill soft and suitable to receive the 

 rains. 



The trimming is next in order. This operation is always performed with a 

 knife, cutting the sprout roots two or three inches from the stump, taking care 

 to amputate the old snout, i. e. the stump of the old vine down lor two sets of 

 eyes, and even more if it will admit. Cutting off the old snout should never be 

 omitted, as vines from the eyes of it never prosper; and an additional reason 

 is to keep the hill as low down as possible. 



The intinnriiii: of a bearing field must be attended to. The manure is ap- 

 plied in various ways and at various times, according to the taste and judg- 

 ment of the grower. Some manure in autumn, laying one or more shovels full 

 on the top ot the hill, without any covering. This is an old fashioned practice, 

 and as I view it, a very indiscreet one. If the owner should not lose more than 

 one half of his manure, he may consider himself well off. Another method is 

 to spread the manure in the spring and plough it in. This plan 1 consider very 

 judicious, if the planter have a good supply of the article; and in that case, no 

 matter how strong the manure. One old way was to lay the manure on the 

 top of the hill after trimming off the sprout roots in the spring, and then cover- 

 ing with soil. But this is bad. In the first place, the requisite quantity of soil 

 to cover the manure to a proper depth makes the hill too high and troublesome. 

 Another inconvenience is, that the young hop blades find it difficult to pene- 

 trate the covering, and many are compelled to find their way out of the sides. 

 For the last eight or ten years, I have invariably laid my manure, generally 

 two shovels full to the hill, (and I prefer old or good compost,) round the hill 

 in the circle made by the hoes in opening. Thus applied, I consider it better 

 for the hops, giving a better shaped hill also, better saved, as it is covered 

 deeper, and better every way; in fact, the best way, except perhaps spreading. 

 This being done, then cover the hill and the manure; the top of the hill two or 

 three inches, and the sides will get covered necessarily double that thickness, 

 as they should be. 



Setting the poles is the most laborious part of the whole work. I always have 

 my own poles laid out between two rows of hills, four together and the butts 



