926 



PRACTICE OF AGRICULTURE. 



Part III. 



that is, forming either a ridglet, or gutter between the rows, both lengthwise and acrfJss. Twice or thrice 

 going in the same direction would also succeed, and would be the preferable mode of covering in manure. 



6019. Ill the application of ^tianurr, various modes are adopted. Some always use well rotted stable 

 dung; others, composts of earth and dunj; ; and a few, littery dung. In laying it on, many prefer the 

 autumn to the spring, and heap it on the hills without putting any between the rows. Others put it all 

 between the rows, alleging that laying it on the hills encourages insects, exposes the dung to evaporation 

 and loss, and soinetimes, when mixed with earth, hinders the plants from coming up. A great deal will be 

 found in favour of, and against each of these modes, in the numerous works on the culture of the hop, which 

 have been written during the last three centuries ; but it must be obvious to any person generally conversant 

 with vegetable culture, that well rotted stable dung must be the best kind for use ; and early in spring the 

 best season for laying it on ; that little benefit can be derived by the roots when it is laid on the hiils, and, 

 consequently, that it ought to be turned into the soil between the rows by the plough. Fifty cart-loads of 

 dung and earth, or thirty of dung, once in three years, is reckoned a good dressing ; but some give ten or 

 twelve loads every year. Too mu(;h dung renders the hops what is called mouldy, and too little causes 

 the crop to be poor and more liable to be eaten by insects. 



602U. Earthiri'^-up commences the first May after planting, whether that operation be performed in spring 

 or autumn. By the end of the spring season, the young shoots have made some progress, and the earth 

 is then drawn up to their roots from the surrounding Intervals, in order to strengthen them. The next 

 earthing-up is in autumn, when the hills are by some covered with compost or manure; but by such as 

 prefer ploughing in the manure between the rows, this earthing-up is not given. Some give an earthing- 

 up uf this kmd in spring, and generally in February, chieriy to retard the plants, as that is found to render 

 them less liable to disease, and the attacks of insects ; for the shoots not beginning to grow till the weather 

 is warm, they then shoot more rapidly. In April and May, their progress is slow ; but in June and July, 

 when the nights are warm, they will grow nearly an inch in the hour. The only essential earthings 

 up, however, are those given the first year in May, and those given annually after the operation of 

 dressing, whether in autumn or spring, which indeed may be called replacings of earth, rather than 

 earthings-up. 



60-21. In dressing the hop plants, the operations of the first year are confined to twisting and removing 

 the haulm, to wiiieh some aud cuping or earthing-up in autunni. 



602'2. The operation of twisting is confined to such plants as 

 have been planted in spring, and are not expected to produce 

 any crop that sea^ion. It is performed in the end of June or in 

 July, and consists in twistinjj the young vines into a bunch or 

 knot ; so that, by thus discouraging their growth, the roots are 

 enabled to spread out more vigorously, and to acquire strength 

 previously to the approach of the inter season. 



6023. Removing he haulm takes place soon after Michaelmas, 

 and consists simply in cutting it ov^r with a sickle, and carry- 

 ing it off the field for litter or burning. /^fter this operation, 

 some add cuping, or covering the hill with a compost ; but this 

 does not appear necessary, and is in many cases left undone. 



60*24. The Jirit year's dressing of hops expected to produce 

 flowers, such' as those planted from bedded sets in the preceding 

 autumn, consists in supplying three or four half i)oles, that is, 

 poles of four or five feet in iengtii to each hill, and on removing 

 the haulm in autumn, as in the other case. 



6025. The yearly dressing of istabluihed hop plantations consists 

 of what is pro n;cially called picking. This operation is gene- 



6026. The yearly operation of stacking or setting the poles commences towards the end of April, or at 

 whatever period, earlier or later, the shoots may have risen two or three inches. 



6027. The poles are straight slender shoots of underwood, ash 

 oak, chestnut, or willow, from sixteen to twenty feet high 



ra'ly commenced on the return of good weather, in March, 

 when the bills are spread out, in or. er to give opportunity to 

 prune ann dress the stocks. The earth being then c eared away 

 from the principal roots by an iron instruiiitnt called a picker, 

 the remains of the former year's vines a e cut offi together with 

 the shoots which were not allowed to attach themselves to the 

 poles in the former sea-on, and also any yoimg suckers that 

 may have sprung up alx)ut the edges of the hilU ; so that 

 no hing is allowed to remain that is likely to injure the prin- 

 cipal roots, or impede their shooting out strong vigorous vines 

 at the proper season. After the roots have been properly cleaned 

 and pruned, the hills are again formed, with an addition, if 

 not evtry year, at lea>t every second or third year, of a projier 

 quantity of compost manure, thit had been previously laid in 

 small heaps on the hop-ground in the course of the winter, 

 or in the early part of spring. At this season such sets are 

 procured as may be wanted for the nursery, or for new plant- 

 ations. 



TheiC poles are set two, but more frequently three, ;o a h.ll ; 

 and are so placed as to leave an opening towards the south, to 

 admit the sunbeams. The manner of fixing them is by making 

 deep holes or openings in the ground with an iron crow. Into 

 these holes the root-ends are put, when the earth is rammed so 

 hard about them, that they very seldom alter from the position 

 in which they were placed, except on occ ision of very violent 

 gales of wind. Great care is necessary in placing the poles, 

 and no less judgment and experience in determining what 

 ought to be the proper ht ight. When very lon_; pole> are s-t in 

 a hop-ground, where the stocks are too old or too voung, or 

 where the soil is of indifferent quality, the stocks are not only 

 greatly exhausted, but the crop always turns out unproductive ; 

 as, ti I th- vines reach the top, or rather till they overtoil the 

 poles, which depends on the strength of the stocks and the 

 quality of the soil, the lateral branches on which the hops 

 grow never begin to shoot out, or make any progress. 



6028. Planters are m,uch divided in their sentiments as to the 

 number of pules to Ix set against each hill. Three poles are the 

 general allowance, observing to place the stoutest pole to the 

 nonhem aspect of the hill ; though it is no uncommon prac- 

 tice to set four pol s, and in strong land five or six, to a hill. 

 In behalf of tins latter mode it is urged, that, where the land 

 usually produces a great redundancy of vine, it is prudent to set 

 a number of poles answerable to the luxuri mcy of ;he shoots. 

 But, if a free circulation of the air be a matter of such im- 

 portance to the wi U-being of a crop of hops as is generally 

 imagineil (and this is a doc rine which, it is believed, cannot be 

 controverted), the incumbering of the hills with an additional 

 number of poles cannot fa 1 to be of infini e dis-service to the 

 future growth of the hops ; and it will be readily acknowledged, 

 that the quantity of hops on the samt' given numlier of hills 

 will be more considerable where three poles only are set up, than 

 where the hills are (Towded with a larg: r number ; wheiher we 

 consider the mischief li ely to accrue from the sta^nati^d air, or 

 from the redundancy of the vine, by which the hojis are pre 

 vente<l from arriving to their proper size or growth. The chief 

 art in poling a hop-ground is, first, to pitch the hole to a proper 

 depth, aliout twenty inches; next, to set doivn the po'e with 

 some exertion of s'renKth, so that being well sharpened it may 

 fix itself firmly at the bottom ; thirdly, that the tops of the jjoles 

 may stand in such a diiection as to lean outwards from the hill, 

 to prevent, as much as possible, the housing of the vine ; and 

 la,stly, to tread the larth close to the pole with the foot. For 

 want of regard to these particulars in the labourer, a modera'e 

 blast of ind will loosen the poles, so as not only to occasion a 

 double expense, but the hazard of injuring the future crop by 

 tearing asunder the vine, which, from itsgreat luxunancy, will 

 become twis ed together, or, as it is termed, housed at the ex- 

 treme parts of the poles. 



6029. With respect to the species of woods proper for poles, it is 

 suggested that the hop ap)iears to prt fer a rough soft b irk, to one 

 which is more smooth and" polished. An experiei ced grower 

 particularises the maple, whose bark is peculiarly soft and 

 warm ; addintr, that he has frequently observed, when the 

 morning has been cold, the sensitive leader of a tender fre.-h 



poled vine reclining its head against the velvet bark of the 

 maple, while others held theirs aloof, from chilly smontb- 

 barktd poles. This is probably more fanciful than coirect, 

 since we find the hop twining with equal luxuriance round the 

 smooth-barked ash and the rough-b.irked larch or acacia ; and 

 with respect to chilly stnoo.h poles, the hop is known to twine 

 with as much vigour round iron or copper wire as round any 

 wood whatever. {Gard. Mag. vol. vii.) 



6030. In regard to the size of the pole, hops, likewise, it is well 

 known, have their instinctive choice or approbation, with 

 respect to the thickness of ih-^ir support ; embracing, with 

 greater readiness, a pole that is mo.ierately sn;all, than one 

 which is thick at "he bottom The ordinary circumference of 

 poles, at the thickest end, raav be set down a from six to i:ine 

 inches, t<permg to the size of a walking-cane at he t<ip ; and 

 the length from fifteen to twenty f et, or upwiird.s. Differtnt 

 grounds rt quire different lengths of pole. Jn the rich grounds, 

 in the neighbimrhood of Mdidstone, the poles of grown hops 

 stand, in general, from fourieen to sixteen f.-et above the hil s, 

 and have from eighteen inchts to two f^et bt-ne^th the surface. 

 But, on weaker lands, poles are not seen to rise more than ten 

 to twelve feet high. Hence, a variety of ground is convenient ; 

 as the poles, by decaying at the roots, grow shorter, and, in a 

 course of years, get too short for strong vines, on rich land. 

 They are,"in this case, sold, and transferred to less productive 

 lands, and vines of humbler growth. 



6031. New polci have sometimes the bark shared off, under an 

 idea that it saves them from the worm ; while some men are 

 of opinion that there is a warmth in the bark, which is accept- 

 able to the young vines ; and although in two or three years the 

 bark drops off, the surface of the wood has, b . that time, ac- 

 quired a degree of softness. Whether a hard, smooth, polished 

 pole is unfriendly to the hop or not, to pel the pole would 

 evidently be improper, as promoting their decay. 



6032. Short light poles are vsunlly pointed in hand, without 

 other support ; but the tall heavy pole requires something to 

 keep the top steady. This is obtained by ty ing together three 

 poles of equal length, two or three feet from their tops ; and 

 setting them up in the form of what is called a triangle, in use 

 for loading timber on wheel-carriaf;es. The top of the pole to 

 be sharpened, being dropped in between tlse points or horns of 

 the trian>;les, receives the requi.ed stay ; and a block is placed 

 in a convenient situation below to work upon. This sort of 

 work, whether on new or on old poles, is sometimes done before 

 they are stacked, or set up in piles; sometimes immediately 

 l^f'ore they are used. In pointing poles that have been used, 

 Uie part which stood in the ground the preceding year is, if 

 nutch tainted, struck off, and a fresh point given to the sound 

 part : but, if the bottom part remains firm, it is sharpened 

 again for another season. 



6033. Wtres of copper or iron have been tried as substitutes for 

 wooden poles in the north of France ; but, having seen a plan- 

 tation treated in this wav, we do not think it any improvement. 

 The wires are stretched "horizontally in the direction of the row 

 of plants, the first wire five feet from the ground, the second 

 one foot above that, and so on, say to the height of fifteen fe; t. 

 The plants are led to the lowest wire by short sticks, and left to 

 twine up or along the others at pleasure. 



