356 OBSERVATIONS ON VEGETABLES. 



HOPS. 



The culture of Virgil's vines corresponds very exactly 

 with the modern management of hops. I might instance in 

 the perpetual diggings and hoeings, in the tying to the 

 stakes and poles, in pruning the superfluous shoots, etc., 

 but lately I have observed a new circumstance, which was 

 a neighbouring farmer's harrowing between the rows of 

 hops with a small triangular harrow, drawn by one horse, 

 and guided by two handles. This occurrence brought to 

 my mind the following passage : 



"ipsa 



Flectere luctantes inter vineta juvencos." — Georg. 



Hops are dicecious plants; hence perhaps it might b 

 proper, though not practised, to leave purposely some male 

 plants in every garden, that their farina might impregnate 

 the blossoms. The female plants without their male 

 attendants are not in their natural state; hence we may 

 suppose the frequent failure of crop so incident to hop- 

 grounds ; no other growth, cultivated by man, has such 

 frequent and general failures as hops. 



Two hop gardens much injured by a hailstorm, June 5thJ 

 show now (September 2nd) a prodigious crop, and larger 

 and fairer hops than any in the parish. The owners 

 seem now to be convinced that the hail, by beating off 

 the tops of the binds, has increased the side-shoots, and 

 improved the crop. Query. Therefore should not the 

 tops of hops he pinched off when the binds are very gross 

 and strong? — White. 



I 



A 



SEED LYING DORMANT. 



The naked part of the Hanger is now covered with 

 thistles of various kinds. The seeds of these thistles may 



