36 SYSTEMS OF CULTIVATION. 



pensation to the soil, for what has been taken out by the 

 green crops, by a dressing of manure, which must be applied 

 in the winter and dug in. Turnips may be planted if the 

 land admits of their being fed off; and this plan, if oil-cake 

 or corn be given, will manure the land at a cheap rate, 

 greatly to the benefit of the hops. 



"February and March are the months best suited for 

 throwing down and cutting, the land being first ploughed 

 or dug. If the plough is used, a slip from 12 to 15 inches 

 wide is left. Your men will commence digging these slips, 

 cleaning the hills, and cutting the roots : this finished, your 

 poles must be spread, and your pile rows ploughed, dug, and 

 cut the same as the rest. 



" In the course of a fortnight or three weeks the bines will 

 begin to appear, when no time should be lost in pitching the 

 poles, which should be set by line to ensure regularity : the 

 poles for this season, if the roots are strong, may be from 10 

 to 12 feet. The next operation is tying, but the tier should 

 first go over and take out the rank hollow bines ; these should, 

 on no account, be put up the poles, since they have a ten- 

 dency to grow to an extravagant quantity of bine, without 

 bearing a proportionate quantity of fruit the next and 

 less vigorous bines will be found far more fruitful. Some 

 planters put three bines up each pole : if four poles are put 

 to a hill, which is the custom at 7 feet square, two bines will 

 be found sufficient ; if three poles, put two twos and a three. 

 The writer has often seen a heavy produce from a single 

 bine. The tiers are paid by the acre, and go over the hills 

 three or four times until the poles are furnished, when all 

 superfluous bines and weeds are pulled out. This completes 

 the tying, except by ladder, which is paid for extra. The 



