104 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



From the following extract from the British Husbandry, it will 

 be seen that the practice is a little more thorough in England, 

 though substantially the same: ."When the spots for the dif- 

 ferent hills have been marked out, the earth is dug out of each 

 to the depth of about two feet, and of nearly the same width ; 

 and then, if a portion of fine garden mould can be got, or, if 

 not, a compost of well-rotted dung and earth, it is placed in 

 the holes, which are filled with finely-pulverized soil. The 

 plants are then put in. Some put three or more in a circle, 

 [hill,] others two, and some only one good plant ; but the most 

 general plan is to place three in each hole, at the depth of 

 about six inches, and great nicety should be observed in fixing 

 them. The holes made by the dibble for that purpose are in a 

 slanting direction, outward, so that the roots of the hop may 

 grow in an inclined position, in which the poles are afterwards 

 placed, without allowing their vines to be interlaced. Some 

 careful growers, indeed, put the fine mould gently in, around 

 and upon the plants, with the hand. The plants should also be 

 raised above the natural level of the ground, both in order that 

 the hop may rise high enough to form the hillock to be made 

 around them, and that the roots may have a great depth of 

 loose earth below them ; for, when the land is very open, they 

 penetrate so far into the soil that they have been found on a 

 very rich, deep loam, in the neighborhood of Farnham, to the 

 depth of twenty feet." 



Setting the Poles. — The proper length of poles requires 

 much judgment. The vines themselves indicate sufficiently 

 how long a pole to use. The poles are of various lengths ; 

 and if the vines in a hill are very large and thrifty, they will 

 need a longer pole than if they are smaller and more feeble. 

 The quality of the land is also some indication, as well as the 

 quantity of manure used. If the land is very rich, it will pro- 

 duce a much more luxuriant growth than if of a poorer quality. 

 The expense for poles is a large item in the original outlay 

 for hop growing. It will bo seen, from the opinions of the 

 writer of the communication quoted above, that the method 

 of poling is a matter of considerable consequence. The Eng- 

 lish growers often use a much larger number to the acre than 

 experienced growers with us. It is very common in the Kent 



