344 



compact form of the whole inflorescence and a short, broad form and papery, 

 thin consistency of the bracts, as shown in the preceding Fig. 5 1 . Xos. / and J. 

 Half of the leaves have been removed in No. 2, in order to show the short- 

 ness of the joints in the catkin spindle. Nos. J and s/. show the abnormal 

 excessive lengthening of the catkin, known among growers by the name 

 "bransche" hops, which must count as the first stage of phyllody. Such 

 "brausche" hops are coarse, contain less substance, ripen somewhat later and 

 have more herbaceous bracts. Beginning with this condition, the phenom- 

 ena of phyllody increase up to the stage shown in No, 5. The green foli- 

 aceous leaves, which here become visible, attain at times the size of a nor- 

 mal leaf, h is the leaf blade which may be followed back into the petiole. 

 At the base of this petiole stand the two green lateral leaflets {n,n) which in 

 the present basal part of the catkin are very small, but increase in size up- 

 ward. No. 6 is taken higher up on the inflorescence and shows the lateral 

 leaflets {n,n) in a size equal to the other bracts, while the leaf body {b) is 

 much smaller. The remaining bracts and protective leaves are seen at No. 5. 

 Each one encloses a flower. 



The scale leaves, which exceed developmentally the other leaves and 

 are developed only in the normal female inflorescence of the hop have the 

 same bract-like constitution as do the protective leaves, so that the whole 

 catkin seems composed of uniformly developed bracts. All the bracts are 

 short lived and soon become dry skinned, when they lie over one another 

 like tiles. 



The barrenness consists, therefore, of the development of the otherwise 

 suppressed leaf blade between every two bract-like leaves. Wide exper- 

 ience now shows that damp years^ and soils strongly manured with sub- 

 stances containing nitrogen cause the more extensive appearance of the 

 barrenness. Frequent summer rains, resulting in cloudy days, are often 

 injurious, even without directly producing the disease. The cells of the 

 leaf, as well as the axis, then elongate and even if favorable harvest weather 

 occurs, the catkins ripen only superficially. They are brought into the 

 storage rooms while containing much more water of vegetation, thereby 

 causing a very rapid heating of the whole heap. Consequently, even in well- 

 developed catkins, a rapid loss of the peculiar gloss and the light green 

 color takes place, together with a considerable reduction in value of the 

 whole harvest product. 



As a remedy for the barrenness, the removal or checking of the causes 

 must be attempted, in case these are found in the soil in the form of excess 

 of water or nitrogen. If the cause is cloudy, damp air, all means should 

 be utilized which further the greatest possible aeration and illumination of 

 the hop-plantation. If nitrogen is present in the soil in excess, a subsequent 

 fertilization with superphosphate is advisable. 



1 Beobachtungen libor die Kultur der Hopfenpflanze. Published by the Deut- 

 scher Hopfenbauverein, Jahrg-. 1879-82. 



