106 HOPS. 



Planting. 



According to local climatic conditions and the state of 

 the weather the planting of the sets is carried on from the 

 middle of March to the middle of May, but may equally 

 well be performed in the autumn, provided root cuttings are 

 available or ordinary cuttings have been taken early in that 

 season, and the ground has been suitably prepared. As, 

 however, these conditions are rarely attainable, spring plant- 

 ing is the almost invariable rule. Dead stocks are replaced 

 up to May and even later. 



It has already been stated that the positions marked in 

 setting out the ground indicate not the positions of the sets- 

 but those of the poles, or, in the case of frame work, the 

 pegs for the attachment of the training wires. 



To determine the best position for the sets certain points- 

 have to be considered, especially in poled gardens. In the 

 first place, as far as the relative position of the plants and 

 poles is concerned, the matter is decided by the direction of 

 the prevailing winds, so that, if blown down, the poles will 

 fall towards the plants and not away from the latter. This, 

 arrangement is desirable in order to prevent the plants being 

 torn asunder or broken by the strain of the falling poles. 



Having fixed upon the above relative position for the 

 plants— which, as a rule, will be to the west or south of 

 the poles — the holes to contain the sets are dug about 8 to- 

 12 inches from the marked spot in the direction indicated. 

 To facilitate working, uniformity of direction and distance 

 in setting must be maintained throughout the entire garden. 

 The reason for planting the sets a little way from the poles 

 instead of close to them is to prevent' damage to the roots- 

 in pitching the poles. Of course it is impossible to entirely 

 obviate any injury to the roots during poling, since the lateral 

 roots thrown out by the stock extend much farther than the 



