30 HOPS. 



hops are mostly local modifications, 'which explains their 

 lack of permanency ; whereas it is probable that, by sexual 

 reproduction arid careful selection, new varieties, possibly 

 superior to those already known, could be obtained. 



With regard to the method of instituting and effecting 

 the method of selection, it should not be difficult to obtain 

 hop seeds capable of germination. These can be sown, and 

 when the female plants have reached the stage of bearing 

 the produce of each should be gathered separately and care- 

 fully examined for quantity and quality, the result deciding 

 which of them shall be Selected for further cultivation. 

 Carelessness at this stage will, however, render abortive all 

 the trouble and labour that has been taken. 



Particular attention must be given to ascertaining whether 

 the valuable properties displayed are really individual, and 

 therefore transmittable, or merely a chance " sport," the 

 result of accidentally favourable local conditions. This 

 knowledge may be acquired in the following manner : — 



Cuttings should be taken of all the plants which, from 

 the results of the examination, appear worthy of selection, 

 and these planted so that all the cuttings from each plant 

 come in the same row. If, for example, ten seedlings are 

 found possessing valuable qualities, and five cuttings are 

 taken from each, then there will be ten rows of five cuttings. 



Each row is then looked after separately, and the produce 

 kept apart. It may happen that the plants in one or more 

 of the rows have lost the properties characteristic of the 

 parent plants, whilst in the other rows these qualities are 

 retained and even improved upon. From this observation 

 it follows that the plants of the first group, being the de- 

 scendants of mere local modifications, must be discarded, 

 whilst those of the second group, being derived from plants 

 capable of transmitting their own characteristics, are of value 

 for further reproduction. 



