LASTING AND CULTURE: 99 



soil and weeds. Every effort is made to keep the soil 

 open to a depth of four or six inches, and absolutely 

 free of weeds. Hand hoe about the hills, to kill weeds 

 and lighten soil not reached by the cultivator. Poled 

 plants are usually hilled, but for the stake and trellis 

 system level culture is generally preferred. See next 

 chapter. 



New York. Clark puts the best practice in a nut- 

 shell : "As soon as the poles or stakes are set, start the 

 cultivators, three or four times in a row, both ways, 

 and keep going over the yard every week until within 

 about two weeks of picking. Whatever may be neg- 

 lected, don't fail to cultivate, cultivate, cultivate, as that 

 loosens the soil, admits sun and air, releases the plant 

 food, keeps down the weeds and advances and increases 

 the crop very materially. Late cultivation also helps 

 to bring the hops out of burr. 



"About June 15-20. apply a good, large handful of 

 phosphate, or fine ground bone, directly to the hill, 

 among the vines, provided the vines are good strong 

 ones; but if they are small or weak, place the phosphate 

 a little way from the crown, because it might burn and 

 injure weak, tender vines. Then hill in thoroughly, 

 and the phosphate being applied to the crown, where 

 the grubs work, together with the large, deep hilling, 

 will help to drive the grubs out. As soon as the vines 

 are well up the poles, say about four feet, cut off the 

 surplus shoots, as they will begin to sap and weaken 

 the hill. Then dress the hills out nicely with a four- 

 tined fork, clean out all weeds and cover up any white 

 hop sprouts that may be exposed, so as to protect them 

 from the sun. If you have kept the cultivator going 

 three or four times in a row every week up to June 

 15-20, you have the ground in a fine, clean, mellow 

 condition, ready to fit up for hilling. To do this thor- 

 oughly, run a large horse hoe through the center of 

 the rows both ways, apply your phosphate or bone as 



