CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PLANT. 31 



nut enveloped in its permanent bractlet, and several 

 grains of yellow lupulin. 



The leaves on the strobile or hop point outward 

 and look rough until the pistil has been properly ferti- 

 lized with pollen from the male plant, when they close 

 down and become smooth, four-sided cones. If no 

 staminate or male hops are in the yard or vicinity, the 

 points of the leaves will point outward, giving the hop 

 a rough and imperfect appearance. 



SEEDLESS VERSUS SEED HOPS. 



Whether male plants are an advantage or a disad- 

 vantage to the hops of commerce, has long been dis- 

 puted. It is not necessary that the female hop should 

 make seed in order to maintain the strength and vigor 

 of the plant, although the contrary opinion is much 



FIG. 13. CROSS-SECTIONAL LONGITUDINAL VIEW OF FEMALE HOP. 



held. Indeed, continuous ripening of seed is one of 

 the most serious drains on the vitality of hop roots. 

 Plump seeds comprise about 10 per cent, of the weight 

 of the cured hops. Hence, from the standpoint of the 

 seller, they are not to be discarded without good 

 reason. This matter has been laboriously investigated 

 by German scientists, who seem to be agreed that fer- 

 tilization lessens the quantity of lupulin, and injures 

 its quality by making it less oily and less aromatic. 

 "The function which the plant would use in ripening 

 seed seems to be employed in forming lupulin more 

 abundantly, and in making the hop fine, and imparting 

 to it the peculiarly rich aroma so much desired by cer- 

 tain brewers." So true is this held to be that male 

 plants are not permitted in Spalt under heavy legal 



