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. notfearch into the Bottom of them, 

 by reafbn of the Expenlivenefs of 

 ^oing it, and the Difficulty of carry- 

 ing off the Water. 



If the Land be moift, it ought to 

 be laid up in high Ridges, and to 

 be well drain'd, and the Drain kept 

 clear and open, efpecially in Winter, 

 that the Water do not rot, or too 

 much chill the Roots. 



If the Land be four, or cold, it 

 *vill be very much help'd by burn- 

 ing it ; and if the Haulm and Strings 

 of the Hop be burnt every Year, 

 and fome of the Paring or Sides of 

 the Garden or Earth be laid on 

 them as they burn, and then more 

 Haulm be laid over that, and fo 

 continued Layer upon Layer, it will 

 make an excellent Compoft to make 

 the Hills with. 



As to the Situation of a Ho^- 

 Groundy one that inclines to the 

 South or Weft is the moft eligible j 

 but if it be expos'd to the North- 

 Eaft or South-Weft Winds, there 

 fhould be a Shelter of fome tall 

 Trees at a Diftance, becaufe the 

 North-Eaft are apt to nip the ten- 

 der Shoots in the Spring, and the 

 South- Weft frequently break and 

 blow the Poles at the latter End of 

 the Summer, and very much en- 

 danger the Hop, 



Hop require to be planted in an 

 open Situation, that the Air may 

 freely pafs round and between them, 

 to dry up and dilfipate the Moifture, 

 whereby they would not be {o lub- 

 jedt to Fire-blafts, which ohen de- 

 ftroy the Middles of large Planta- 

 tions, Vv^hile the Outiides remain 

 unhurt. 



As for the Preparation ot the 

 Ground for Planting, it fliould, the 

 Winter before, be plough'd and har- 

 row'd even ; and then lay upon it in 

 Heapj a good Quantity of frefh, rich 

 Earthy or well-rotted Dung and 



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Earth mix'd together, fufficient to 

 put half a BuHiel in every Hole ti 

 plant the Hop in, unlefs the natura 

 Ground be very frefh. 



Then lay a Line acrofs it, from 

 the Hedge, in which Knots have 

 been ty'd, at the Diftance you delign 

 your Hop-hills to be at, about eight 

 or nine Feet Diftance the whole 

 Length of the Ground, and place a 

 fharp pointed Stick at every Knotj 

 then lay afide the Line, and with 

 two forked Sticks of about eight 

 or nine Feet long, you may from 

 that firft Row fet out the whole 

 Ground, by applying the two Forks 

 to two of the Sticks which were 

 firft fet up, and placing another 

 Row at the Ends where the forked 

 Sticks meet triangularwife : Then 

 you (liould dig a Hole at every Stick 

 about a Foot and a half wide, and 

 fill it full of the good Earth you 

 brought in. 



If you plough the Ground with 

 Horfes between the Hills, it will 

 be beft to plant them in Squares 

 Checquerwile, but the ^^incunx 

 Form is the moft beautiful, and it 

 will alfo be better for the Hop : But 

 if the Ground be fmali, that it may 

 be done with the Breaft-Plough or 

 Spade, it will do very well ; but 

 which Way Ibever you make ufe of, 

 a Stake fiiould be ftuck down at 

 all the Places where the Hills are to 

 be made. 



Perfons ought to be very cu- 

 rious in the Choice of the Plants 

 and Sets as to the Kind of Hop ; 

 for if the Hop-Garden be planted 

 with a Mixture of feveral Sorts of 

 Hops, that ripen at feveral Times. 

 it will caufe a great deal of Trou- 

 ble and be a great Detriment to 

 the Owner. 



The two beft Sorts are the v/hite 



and the grey Bind ; the latter is a 



large fquare Hop, more hardy, and 



F + is 



