286 



NEW ENGLAND FARIVIER. 



June 



size as possible, about sixteen feet in length, 

 and from tAvo to three inches in diameter. 

 Sharpen the larger end, for a distance of about 

 twelve inches, leaving a blunt point full one 

 inch thick." Instead of using an iron bar to 

 form the holes for the poles, Mr. Amos Tur- 

 ner, of Peru, Me., uses an implement, of 

 which we copy the following cut and descrip- 

 tion from the same work. 



Fig. 6. 



Turner's Pod-auger for making Holes for 



Hop Poles. 

 Instead of using a crowbar, we make holes 

 for the poles with a pod-auger. The blade is 

 of steel, and an old mill-saw is just the thing 

 to make it of. Cut a. piece of saw-plate 18 

 ; inches long, 2^ inches wide at one 

 end and G inches wide at the other. 

 This is to be bent so that a section 

 of it will be semi-circular. A shank 

 of I inch iron and one foot long is 

 riveted to the larger end of the 

 blade, and is furnished with a 

 wooden handle in the same manner 

 as a common auger. The engrav- 

 ino-. Fig. 6, shows the shape of the 

 implement. In using it, the auger 

 is pressed into the soil by the foot, 

 then, bv turning it half-way round 

 and lifting it, the dirt is brought 

 out, and a hole made to receive 

 the pole, with one-half the labor 

 of using a crowbar. 



The strongest and best poles should be 

 placed in the^outside rows, where they will be 

 exposed to the force of the wind, and thus 

 serve to protect weaker and smaller ones. 



The poles should all be set by the time the 

 vines are three inches in height. By setting 

 the poles early, many vines will run up of 

 themselves wliich otherwise would not, and 

 thus save much time in tying. The poles 

 should be about four feet apart at the top, as 

 this distance prevents the vines from running 

 to"-ether, and gives the sun a chance to strike 

 alf parts. When the vines are about three 

 feet in length, commence to tie them. There 

 will probaiilv be from twenty-five to thirty 

 vines in the hill, but only two must be saved 

 for each pole. The surplus vines may be cut 

 oil", or twisted into a mass and placed upon 

 the' hill with a stone or clod upon them. In 

 selecting the two vines lor the pole do not 

 take tlKr largest nor the smallest, but those of 

 medium size. In very rich ground it may be 

 well to leave a couple of vines on the ground 

 lor future use, in case you shoidd want them. 

 In selecting the vines, take those that are 

 nearest the centre of the hill or inside of the 

 poles, for in cultivating there is then less dan- 

 ger of injuring them. Be very carel'ul in 

 handling and tying the vines, for they are 

 easily broken. Various kinds of strings are 

 used, but with any kind care must be used not I 



to have them too tight. Mr. Jameson, of 

 Irasburg, Vt., cuts the foot from an old stock- 

 ing and placing the leg over the left wrist, un- 

 ravels as needed. This is elastic and will give 

 as the vine grows. Tie them just below the 

 second bud, carrying them around the pole 

 from left to right, or with the sun. As soon as 

 the vines grow three or four feet beyond the 

 place where they were tied, go to each vine 

 and cut off all trailing arms to the height of 

 five feet ; then commence to cultivate the yard. 

 With a hoe remove all weeds from_ the hills, 

 loosening the dirt, as is customary in the hoe- 

 ino- of corn. Do not hill up, however, if you 

 would save your vines from the effects of the 

 grubs, which, through carelessness, often de- 

 stroy whole yards. After this hoeing, apply 

 slaked lime or good wood ashes, sprinkling it 

 with the hand in sufficient quantity to M-hiten 

 the o-round around each hill. Examine the 

 earth around the roots of the vines, and kill 

 any grubs that may be discovered. It pays 

 well to search thgroughly for these pests. 



About the first week in July, when the grubs 

 have finished work for the year, hoe and "hill 

 up" the vines. After this, the yard will re- 

 quire but little attention. The hops will be in 

 full bloom about the last of July or first of 

 August ; and as from this time the hops in- 

 crease in size and the poles get more heavily 

 laden, thev require more or less attention, es- 

 pecially a"fter a hard rain or heavy winds. 

 Many poles will be blown over or broken, and 

 it is necessary to set them again. If they are 

 allowed to rernain on the ground, the hops will 

 mould, and, after a time, spoil. The vines 

 should be unwound from the end of the broken 

 pole, which should be sharpened and set again 

 as before. 



Directions, with illustrations, for picking and 

 drying will be given next month. 



SAMPLES OF FOREIGlSr "WOOL. 

 Immediately upon the passage of the late 

 wool tariff, a report was put in circulation that 

 the law was to remain inoperative until an 

 agent could be sent to all the foreign wool 

 producing countries to collect specimens for the 

 use of our custom house officials. It appears, 

 however, from a letter from ]\Ir. McCulloch, 

 to Dr. Randall, that instead of contemplating 

 such delay, instructions were issued imme- 

 diately upon the passage of the Act, to the 

 Collectors of customs at the several ports into 

 which wool is imported, to classify and assess 

 duty according to said Act, to the best of their 

 power, in the absence of samples, and in no 

 case to finally liquidate an entry, but hold 

 them all in abeyance, until the samples could 

 be procured. Hence in all cases the duty has 



