Feteuary 23, 1871. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



137 



sne to a hundred or thereabouts, insisting that the ninety-nine 

 bearing plants with the aid of the one male plant produce more 

 than a hundred all of a kind. Whether it be so or not, it is 

 certain that the presence of the male plant is not necessary to 

 insure good seed, as that is produced whether it be near or not. 

 But as plants for general use are not obtained from seed it is 

 needless saying more on this head, I will therefore at once 

 pass to the mode in which Hops are generally propagated, 

 which is simple enough. 



The Hop being an herbaceous perennial its stems die down 

 to the ground every winter, but as the gathering of the crop 

 renders it necessary to cut the bine in the centre long before 

 the sap has ceased to rise in the stem, much injury is unavoid- 

 ably done to the plant, but to render this as small as possible 

 the bines or stems are cut as high as they conveniently can be 

 consistently with their standing upright without support, for 

 the poles to which they cling are removed at this time, and to 

 cut the bine at a greater height than 2 feet from the ground 

 would cause the tops to bend over, hang down, and bleed. 

 The bleeding is said to weaken them, and great care is there- 

 iore necessary to prevent it. In February or early in March 

 what is called the dressing has to be attended to, the whole of 

 the ground having been previously dug, and the necessary 

 dung, tfec, added at the same time. The dressing here alluded 

 to is the winter pruning, which is accomplished by scratching 

 away the earth from the crown of the plant with a short- 

 handled tool made for the purpose, and the shoots which 

 have been standing all the winter are cut off close to their 

 junction with the crown of the plant. As they are often 

 buried in a slanting position in the ground, there will be 

 C inches or more that has been in the soil, and this part is 

 frequently swelled to the thickness of a broom-handle, with 

 some roots emitted, as well as embryo shoots. These cuttings, 

 called sets, make the plants used for future plantations, and 

 they may either be planted in their places at once, or, as more 

 eommonly practised, bedded-out one year in a nursery ground, 

 whence they are transplanted to the ground allotted for them. 

 Two or three are planted on a hill, unless plants are very 

 scarce, when only one is used, as is the case with a new or 

 scarce variety. The growth of the bedded sets being, of course, 

 better that that of the mere cut ones, larger poles are required, 

 Q single pole of 6 or 7 feet high being sufficient for sets not 

 previously prepared, while the latter require more than one 

 year's growth ere they are treated to what is called a full pole. 



Poling. — After the old Hop ground has been dressed or cut, 

 and when the young growth is a few inches high, it is time to 

 put in the poles ; in fact, this might be done earlier, only the 

 shorter time poles are in the ground the better, to prevent their 

 decay. Poling is otlea performed in April, and as Hop poles 

 form a very impottant feature, as well as a very heavy item in 

 the expenditure, I may state that for the taller kinds of Hops 

 •it is a common practice to put alternately two and three poles 

 ■to each hill, or about 3000 poles to the acre of 1200 hills. In 

 placing the poles, their sharpened ends are struck into the 

 .ground with a smart jerk, a hole having previously been made 

 by an iron implement called a Hop-pitcher. The bottoms of the 

 holes are about 16 inches apart, but the tops are somewhat 

 more, care being taken at the same time to keep them as 

 straight as possible in the direction called the main line ; but 

 whatever care be taken, it must be admitted that a piece of 

 ground covered with naked poles has not by any means a pic- 

 turesque appearance. 



Tkimminq akd Tyins. — We now come to the management of 

 the growing plant, the first operation after the poles are put 

 in being tying the young shoots to the pole to start them. 

 This is invariably done by women, who, by practice, become 

 very expert at it. The young shoots, growing rapidly, must 

 not be allowed to become too long ere they are tied to the pole, 

 otherwise they get entangled with each other in a way difficult 

 to remedy ; at the same time they must be long enough to 

 reach to the pole, or nothing can be done with them. Some 

 growers like the most robust shoots tied in, but the majority 

 reject them, and prefer the middle-sized, short-jointed, rather 

 wiry shoots as being the best. All agree that about three 

 shoots are plenty for a pole, and sometimes only two are pre- 

 ferred. The shoots are tied to the bottom of the pole by a sort 

 of sliding tie, which gives way when the bine increases in size, 

 and they quickly take to the pole, but they have to be looked 

 over again in about a week, and if not climbing up properly 

 another tie has to be given. They are then often about a yard 

 high, and at this time, or when they may be somewhat higher, 

 a'il tiae surplus shoots are pulled oii the crown of the plant. 



and two or three spadefuls of earth are put upon it. After 

 this it is seldom any more shoots appear there during the sea- 

 son, the whole energies of the plant being directed to the 

 growth of the bine running lip the poles, which it does in the 

 spiral direction common to all climbers, excepting the Kidney 

 Bean, which twines the reverse way. The growth of the Hop, 

 when the plant is 6 or 8 feet high, is often very rapid if the 

 weather is fine at the end of May, when the growth frequently 

 exceeds 6 inches in twenty-four hours, mild moist days and 

 warm nights being the times when this plant is supposed to 

 make most progress, which, however, is often arrested by 

 enemies difficult to deal with, and sometimes the weather 

 is not propitious. At this time the cares and anxieties of 

 the Hop-grower begin, and they do not cease until the crop is 

 gathered, and I may say sold and paid for, as few plants are so 

 liable to mishaps as the Hop, The means taken to combat ita 

 insect enemies being such as a gardener may study with ad- 

 vantage and take hints from, I will make no apology for 

 entering at length into this department, being convinced that 

 the bulk of the gardening community have a very imperfect 

 knowledge of what the Hop-grower is doing in this direction. — 

 John Eobson. 



CALCEOLARIA FAILURES. 



I HAVE found, in almost every instance, the cause of Cal- 

 ceolarias failing, of which Mr. Eobson complains, is their being 

 planted in poor, sandy soil, incapable of retaining moisture for 

 any length of time ; consequently at the first period of dry 

 weather the roots are burnt, as will be found upon taking up 

 the plants and examining them. 



In taking cuttings in September I always give the preference 

 to short stocky shoots cut o& with the heel. I insert them in 

 large CO-pots, six in a pot, using equal parts of leaf mould, 

 drift sand, and chopped moss, with plenty of drainage. I 

 then place the pots upon coal ashes in a cold frame, which I 

 always set facing the west. I plunge the pots in water before 

 putting them in the frame, and but little water is needed till 

 the ouUings are rooted. After they have struck admit air by 

 raising a little the bottom and top of the light. I never take off 

 the lights entirely till the beginning of March, for I consider it 

 gives the plants a check, which I always avoid if possible. 



At the beginning of February I pinch out the top, and at the 

 end of the month I plant out in a frame on a warm border, 

 placing the plants 4 inches apart every way, having previously 

 prepared the ground in the following manner : — I take out 

 3 inches of soil, then fill in with 3 inches of rotten dung beaten 

 firm, and cover the dung with sufficient soil, consisting of leaf 

 mould, turfy loam, and drift sand in equal parts. After plant- 

 ing, keep the plants close till they are again established, then 

 give them as much air as possible, taking off the lights en- 

 tirely as the season advances. 



In taking up the plants, cut round them with the trowel, and 

 lift them with the ball entire. In planting out, choose a mild 

 day early in April, having previously exposed the plants night 

 and day for at least one week. 



In preparing the beds I take out the soil to the depth of at 

 least 1 foot, and fill in with 6 inches of good rotten dung 

 pressed firm, and 4 inches of rough turfy loam, such as we use 

 for CucumberB, keeping the beds at least 2 inches below the 

 walk or lawn. If the beds are to be occupied with other things, 

 remove 1 foot of the old soil and fill in with good turfy loam, 

 which agrees with all bedding plants, with the exception of 

 Coleuses, which need an addition of sand. The most import- 

 ant point of all is to give water before they become too dry ; 

 when once they flag no amount of care will bring them round. 

 I use manure water, tolerably strong, alternately with pure 

 water, watering in the evening during dry weather twice a-week, 

 and giving at least one quart of water to each plant. 



I place the frames used in protecting the cuttings in a turf 

 pit, and fill in between with litter. This, with a few mats 

 thrown over during severe weather, will keep all safe. — W. 

 Claek, Gheshunt, Herts. 



AMERICAN POTATOES. 

 In answer to Mr. Kivers's observations on the American 

 Early Eose Potato, I am very sorry indeed to find that he is 

 so prejudiced against the " Yankees " and their Potatoes. I 

 wrote to your Journal a short time since, mentioning the good 

 qualities of, and highly praising the Early Eose for its heavy 

 cropping, good size and appearance, and first-rate cooking pro- 



