PLANTING /:ND CULTURE. 



91 



Opinions vary as to what constitutes the best root. 

 On the coast, a root is preferred that is cut from near 

 the outer end of the runners and the roots should all 

 be of near the same length and free from split or bruise. 

 The ends should be cut perfectly smooth, and each root 

 should have not less than three or four sets of eyes and 

 one set of eyes should be near the upper end of the 

 root. In England and Canada, these cuttings are at 

 once planted six inches apart in nursery rows two feet 

 apart, the roots being removed and leaving only three 

 or four eyes around the stalk. These stalks will make 

 roots and a moderate growth of vine, and will be ready 



FIG. 39. THE HOP STOCK. 



, Rootstock; 6, vine stock; c, dead part of last year's vine cut off ; d, roots sep- 

 arated or cut off by grubbing. 



for transplanting the next fall or early spring. Each 

 root will then be a crown; that is, one that has carried 

 a vine, not a sucker. Sometimes, when sets are very 

 dear, the pieces of root cut off in the spring are planted 

 out at once without having been put in a nursery; this 

 is frequent on the coast, but is not practiced at the east 

 or abroad. Sets are more often cut direct from old 

 roots. 



There are several methods of planting the sets. One 

 is to make a hole 14 inches deep, with a hop-bar, put 

 in a handful of fertilizer, partly fill the hole with loose 

 soil, and set the roots on end, with the top even with 



