68 HOPS. 



that spring up later will yield bine that is found by experi- 

 ence to produce a smaller crop of cones. 



Extreme contrasts of temperature during the summer 

 months favour the production of honey dew, and are the 

 cause of many of the diseases attacking hops. 



Owing to its extensive foliage and the consequent large 

 surface exposed to evaporation, the hop requires a deal of 

 moisture ; nevertheless, rain is unnecessary during the early 

 stages of growth (cold rain, in fact, is harmful), the moisture 

 retained in the soil from the winter being sufficient for 

 the supply of water to the young plant. This is, however, 

 almost exhausted by the time the plant reaches its most 

 active stage of leaf development, and consequently rain is 

 desirable during the months of May and June, and in the 

 early part of July. 



August and September should be dry in order to enable 

 picking to proceed without hindrance. When the bine is not 

 cut directly after harvest, subsequent warm, moist weather 

 is favourable to the plant ; the leaves continue the process 

 of assimilation, and as soon as the above-ground parts of 

 the plant begin to die down the resulting products travel 

 downwards to the roots, where they are stored up as form- 

 ative material for the young shoots in the following 

 spring. 



The underground organs of the hop plant being fairly 

 insusceptible to the action of frost, the state of the weather 

 during the winter months does not, as a rule, matter very 

 much. Nevertheless, experience teaches that snowless win- 

 ters are less favourable, in proportion as the plants are 

 younger and the soil lighter ; and a very frosty winter with- 

 out snow may cause a deal of damage to newly planted 

 gardens on light land. 



A hastily formed opinion would lead to the erroneous 

 conclusion that hops require but little light ; but though the 



