MILDEW AND FIRE-BLAST. 389 



in the Kent districts in 1854 j 1 the Goldings were the 

 most affected, and the Jones's the least the Colegates and 

 Grapes being intermediate. The application of sulphur, 

 either simply or in some form of combination, is the only 

 remedy that can be recommended ; its action on the hop 

 is the same as on the vine, and when it is properly and 

 plentifully administered, it is generally successful. The 

 expense of applying any remedy to a disease that requires 

 each individual plant, and even separate parts of that plant, 

 to be separately treated, is no doubt extremely heavy, 

 where large numbers have to be considered. In a hop 

 ground, as in a vineyard, the question is between no crop at 

 all or a small probable crop, the result of the remedial treat- 

 ment; and as in such seasons of disease and diminished 

 produce the prices always rule high, the extra outlay, 

 great though it be frequently from 1 5 to 20 per acre 

 if judiciously made, is repaid amply by the resulting 

 increase in the crop. Another form of disease, the " fire- 

 blast/' is met with occurring in dry seasons, and generally 

 on thin and inferior soils. The leaves become blotchy, 

 yellow and dark coloured patches show themselves, when 

 they begin to wither and to fall off. This is generally 

 indicative of a poor cultivation; liberal manuring and 

 good and regular tillage is the best remedy that can be 

 applied to it. This is by some confounded with the " red 

 rust," from which, however, although the appearance is 

 somewhat similar, it is entirely different; the one being 

 the result of disease, the other of the attack of an insect, 

 which we shall presently allude to. 



The hop grower appears to be wholly at the mercy of 

 the insect tribe. They form the barometer that indicates 

 the rise or fall of his prosperity, as well as of a very im- 

 portant branch of revenue, the difference in the amount 

 of the duty paid by hops, due principally to their attacks, 



1 See a paper by Mr. Berkeley, in Agri. Gaz., 1854, p. 597. 

 VOL. II. 58 



