CULTIVATION OF PLANTS. 211 



that business, and also take the liberty of pointing out some of the common 

 faults our western and eastern hop raisers fall into. There are so very few 

 hops that are brought to our market of a prime quality, which makes it one of 

 the most disagreeable tasks to select a supply, from the large quantities that 

 are offered for sale; and it is truly lamentable to see the immense sacrifice of 

 property from the want of care or skill in their management. 



It may not be improper to premise, that hops, to be productive, require a rich 

 soil, an airy situation, as well as an occasional manuring; even the best lands 

 ought to have, every two or three years at farthest, from thirty to forty loads 

 of well rotted barn-yard manure to the acre; and although the wild hop is gene- 

 rally found on the banks near water, yet hops thrive well on almost any good 

 land if properly attended to.' 



The time of picking hops varies light soils or elevated and dry situations 

 are earliest; even in a yard of a few acres, situated on a side hill, the highest 

 ground is often ready for picking some days before the lower; and sometimes 

 from the poverty of the land, the middle, or it may be, the lower part is ripe 

 first. In commencing picking, too much care cannot be taken in gathering 

 those first that are ripe, and not in picking those that are largest, as is often 

 the case. The time of picking may be known by their change of colour, from 

 deep green to a light yellow tinge. If they have seeds, the hop ought to be 

 gathered as soon as the seed turns brown; but the certain indication of picking 

 time, to those who are familiar with this article, is when the lupulin, or small 

 globules of the bright yellow resin, are completely formed in the head of the 

 hop, at the bottom of the leaves, and the leaves are readily rubbed from the 

 stem. The lupulin Cor flower of the hop as it is commonly called) is the only 

 valuable part, and if gathered too early, before it becomes perfect turpentine, 

 it soon dissipates and loses its fine aromatic flavour and all its medicinal quali- 

 ties. Hence, gathering hops too soon is a total loss, and instead of imparting 

 a palatable pleasant flavour, and giving its fine tonic balsam to ale, they are 

 unquestionably an injury, and ought not to be used; and if gathered too late, 

 the lupulin drops out, and the hop is of no value; but the experienced culti- 

 vator takes the medium, commences when the hop is first ripe; has every thing 

 prepared his hands, kilns, baskets, baggings, &e. Five or six days ought to 

 finish the whole process of picking and curing, if his yards ripen about the 

 same time. The hop should be picsed clean, without leaves or stems, and if 

 possible without dew on them, nor pressed too close, nor put in too large quanti- 

 ties, before going on the kiln, or they will heat. No rule can be given for the 

 thickness they ought to be spread on the kiln, or even for the length of time 

 necessary to dry them. A skilful operator is the only safety in this process. 

 Care ought to be taken that the kiln draws well, as much depends upon its 

 draft the steam should not be allowed to fall back on the hops, and must pass 

 off freely. 



Preparatory to putting the hops on the kiln, it must have a fire put in, made 

 perfectly dry, and fumigated by burning brimstone to take away all the bad 

 smell, and when perfectly sweet, a layer of hops put on, say eight or ten inches 

 deep, and this may be increased or lessened as the operator finds the draft. 

 The time used in drying will also depend on the quantity of hops on the kiln, 

 and on the draft, say from eight to sixteen hours; but they must not be removed 

 from the kiln until the core or stem of the hop is crisp and well dried, they must 

 then be put upon a floor, and occasionally turned, until the leaf becomes'tough, 

 when they are ready for bagging. 



The fuel used for drying, must be of the sweetest kind, and perfectly charred, 

 and the best is beach, birch, hickory or maple. Pine may not be used under 

 any circumstances, nor any brimstone, only as before directed. When the fire 

 is once put to a kiln of hops, it must never be permitted to slacken or go out, 

 until they are dried. The fire should never be so hot as to burn or leave the 

 least taint of fire on them. 



I would suggest to all our hop raisers a system to be adopted and never de- 

 viated from that is to divide very carefully the hops into three equal parts or 

 parcels, the first, second and last pickings. If six days are consumed in pick- 

 ing, let the hops of the two first days, the third and fourth days, and the two 

 last days, be kept separate, bagged and marked; each parcel will by this method 



