ON CHEMICAL YIELDING PLANTS 



only the pistillate flower that is of value to the hop 

 grower. But a few staminate flowers are grown 

 here and there in the field to fertilize the others, 

 the cultivators feeling that the seed which would 

 not otherwise be produced has at least the value 

 of adding weight to the flower heads, and probably 

 it adds lupulin also. 



The hop has been grown from prehistoric 

 times, and the exact country of its origin is not 

 known, although it is found growing wild in Colo- 

 rado and New Mexico in the high mountains where 

 it cannot have escaped from cultivation. But 

 comparatively little has been done in the way of 

 developing it, and there is good opportunity for 

 work in this field. 



It goes without saying that different strains of 

 hop vines differ in productivity, and in the amount 

 of lupulin that their flowers secrete, and in the 

 quality of the product. Certain Bavarian hops 

 have lupulin of peculiarly fine flavor, but these are 

 all less productive than the hops grown in America. 



Following out the principles of plant develop- 

 ment repeatedly presented, it may be assumed that 

 the hop can be improved as to productivity and 

 alkaloid content and the quality of the latter by 

 selection. Presumably improvement could be 

 facilitated by hybridization. 



The plant is one that can readily be experi- 



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