254 



NEW ENGLAND FAKIMER. 



June 



one-sixth of the weight of the dried catkins, 

 and contains the greater portion of their val- 

 uable qualities." 



In this country, as we have previously re- 

 marked, hops maybe grown, as a general rule, 

 on any good corn land. But in the United 

 States as well as in England, the bulk of the 

 crop is grown in a few favorable localities. 

 The production of the single county of Kent, 

 in the southeastern part of England, probably 

 represents one half of the whole amount raised 

 in all the other counties. In Otsego County, 

 N. Y., it was estimated that 4,000,000 lbs. 

 were raised in 18G3, which is more than the 

 whole crop of the United States for 1820, and 

 nearly one-half of the product of the State In 

 1860. 



The hop-yard should not be located in a 

 valley or near thick woods, but still it should 

 be sheltered by hill or wood from prevailing 

 winds, for the reason suggested in the last two 

 lines quoted above from Mr. Tusser. On the 

 friable calcareous soils of Kent, England, hop 

 roots have been found to descend ten, lifteen 

 and more feet in search of food and moisture. 

 This fact illustrates the importance of deep 

 and thorough preparation of the soil. The 

 great expense of poles, bins, kilns, bags, labor, 

 &c., necessary to prepare the crop for market, 

 makes it poor policy to sjmre labor or manure 

 in starting the yard. 



After the ground is duly prepared for plant- 

 ing, the places for hills — seven feet by eight Is 

 a common distance — are usually marked by 

 furrowing each way, much care being taken to 

 run them straight. If greater exactness is de- 

 sired, or If the }ard is small, the hills may be 

 marked off readily by the use of lines and as 

 many stakes as hills. Whether the hills are 

 formed by the intersection of two furrows or 

 by spading where sticks are used, the follow- 

 ing cut illustrates the position of the sets and 

 the manner of covering them and placing the 

 'stake to mark the hill. 



0' -> cxy I 



*'(!«;/^ij,;41U^^..<^,^.;„,4^*' 



Ku;. ii. Manner of J'laiUinf/. 

 The directions for planting, which should be 



permit, say, about the last of April or first of 

 May, we copy, with the cut, (Fig. 3,) from 

 Mr. Judd's Hop Culture. 



Cultivation the First Year. 



Provide a dibble, or a sharp piece of n'on, 

 to make the holes in the manner shown in the 

 cut. The sets are Inserted in these holes, tak- 

 ing care that the eyes in the set point upward. 

 Four sets, at equal distances apart, — although 

 but two are shown In the cut, — form the 

 bill, their uj^per ends approximating as in the 

 ligure. A handful of bones broken fine 

 and thrown Into the hill, will prove of great 

 value by producing a rich, high-llavored 

 hop. To cover the sets, take hold of the 

 upper ends and pack the earth carefidly 

 around and over them, as shown in Figure 

 o. The sets are sometimes planted like 

 potatoes, • and sometimes an iron crowbar 

 is used, the sets being held by one hand and 

 the earth filled in around them. On examina- 

 tion of lulls planted in this manner, they are 

 frequently found twisted together in the form 

 of a rope, much to the injury of the hill. 

 There is another mode, that is regarded by 

 some as having advantages over the above 

 methods, which is as follows : Take the pre- 

 pared sets and bed them, or plant them In I'ows 

 sufficiently wide to admit of the free use of 

 the cultivator ; a single set In a place from five 

 to six inches apart. The bed siioidd receive 

 careful attention in the way of hoeing and 

 weeding, A dressing of special manure is 

 ustiful. The best that 1 ha\ e ever used con- 

 sists of six or. eight parts of charcoal dust, two 

 of jjulverized hen manure, and one of plaster. 

 This is also a valuable manure to be used Near- 

 ly, after the first hoeing. The sets should be 

 taken up the next October, and planted with 

 great care. One strong, healthy set will make 

 a hill. Immediately after i)lantlng, the hill 

 should be covered with two or three shovels of 

 manure. A yard planted In this manner will 

 come into bearing the next season, the same 

 as if planted out, as in the manner first de- 

 scribed. It is customary to plant corn, pota- 

 toes, beans, tobacco, or any other hoetl crop, 

 with hops the tirst year. The crop that shades 

 the least Is best. 



]\Iale Hops. — In the centre of every him- 

 dred hills, or at regular intervals, should be 

 planted a male hill. The poles should be left 

 in these hills, or other means adopted to mark 

 them distinctly and [)ernianently. AVhen the 

 shoots are taken from these, they should be 

 tied in bundles and put by themselves, to pre- 

 vent their becomiuii; mixed with tliose of the 

 bearing plants. Tlie male plant is of the ut- 

 most importance; for without this, it is impos- 

 sible to produce good hops. 

 Corn, potatoes, or any other hoed crop, can 

 be raided llie fu-st year with the hops. The 

 cultivation consists in keeping the weeds down 



done as early in the spring as the season will ' and the ground mellow. One day's work in 



