LAYING OUT A YARD. 83 



nut, maple, oak, alder, and birch are esteemed in the 

 order named for hop poles. 



On the Pacific coast, when a crop is picked the 

 first year, poles are set before the roots are planted, 

 which prevents injury or disturbing the roots after- 

 ward. With a long dibble having a steel sharpened 

 point, a hole js made, about eighteen inches deep, into 

 which the pole is stuck and left vertical. A man will 

 set about 600 poles per day. A short stake is set the 

 tenth hill in every tenth row to indicate when a male 

 root is to be planted. 



In New York, England and Europe, poles are not 

 set until the second year, care being taken to set the 

 poles in the north side of the hill every time, as the 

 men cultivating before the hops are up will know bet- 

 ter where the hills are and will not be so apt to damage 

 them. In later years also the men when setting the poles 

 will know better w r here to find the old holes. For a 

 short pole yard, the stakes could be cut (for economy's 

 sake, split) ten or more feet long, that they may be long 

 enough to use after once rotting off. The outside rows 

 should have larger stakes and be set very deep and 

 solid. 



Twine is run across the top of the poles both ways, 

 being attached to the nail, or some merely wind it 

 around the poles at a height of 7 to 7^ feet from the 

 ground (Fig. 32). After the first year, not more than 

 four vines should be trained to each hill by this system, 

 and where the soil is extra heavy, two will be found 

 preferable. At the first and second trainings, all sur- 

 plus vines should be either pulled out or cut off beneath 

 the surface. The vines generally require training twice 

 before reaching the twine, and the vines should be 

 trained at least twice on the twine. In training on the 

 twine the first time, it is best to take the vines from the 

 stake above the twine, and after passing them across 

 over one twine, bring them down under the second 



