PACKING STRIPPING AND STACKING POLES. 381 



and no doubt time will be required to overcome the pre- 

 iudices in favour of old practices, which a peculiar and 

 limited cultivation is so apt to engender in the minds of 

 those who follow it. Without going into the merits of 

 the different apparatus introduced, which is beyond our 

 present purpose, it is admitted that the hops may be 

 packed by them in a more regular manner and quicker 

 from the kiln than by the old method, while the chances 

 of injury by exposure during cooling are lessened, and the 

 comparatively slow operation of treading, in itself a dusty 

 and unhealthy occupation for the men, and one which is 

 liable to injure the hops, unless they be in exactly the 

 right condition of dryness, is entirely avoided. The cost 

 of this part of the preparation is about 4s. per pocket, the 

 pocket itself costing about 3s., and the labour from lOcL 

 to Is.; where bags are used, the cost of materials and of 

 labour is just one-half more. 



Hop -growing labours under one very serious disadvan- 

 tage, being placed under excise regulations. The number 

 of acres under cultivation, the oasts, and the storehouses 

 have to be registered, and notice has to be given before the 

 hops are packed and weighed. When this has been all 

 duly supervised, the pockets are marked with the gross 

 weight the name, parish, and county of the grower, 

 together with the date of the year, having been previously 

 marked in large letters on the bag. 



As soon as the hops are picked the poles should be 

 stripped of the bine, preparatory to stacking, which should 

 not be delayed a day longer than necessary, as the sooner 

 they are cleared of the bines the better. They are then 

 stacked or "hiled" through the ground: in the former mode 

 they are laid horizontally, the tops being brought together 

 in the middle of the stack, the butt ends only being ex- 

 posed ; in the latter, which is that most commonly prac- 

 tised, they are placed upright, in four lots or quarters, 



