CULTIVATION. 113 



Although the return from a first year's crop (virgin hops) 

 — about li to 2 cwts. per acre of somewhat open and poor, 

 though saleable, cones — forms an item not to be despised, 

 and loose-growing hops do not produce any appreciable 

 quantity of cones, it is on other grounds than this that 

 the author regards training as preferable even in the first 

 season. Contrary to the general assumption, the young 

 plants are not weakened in any way by being trained, but 

 actually develop much more vigorously, as inspection of 

 the stems and leaves will readily show. 



The following special reasons may be given in favour 

 of training the plants in their first year : — 



1. Weeds can be eradicated more easily, since, if the 

 plants are left to sprawl over the ground, they are always 

 in the way of the weeders, and the leaves and stems 

 suffer damage which cannot by any means benefit the 

 plants ; and matters are still worse when team work has. 

 to be doiie. 



2. It is uneconomical, particularly during the first year^ 

 to leave uncropped the free space between the hop plants.. 

 Even though' extra manuring is required, a crop of vege- 

 tables — cucumbers, onions or beans — is worth considering. 



The cultivation of hoed crops or vegetables in the 

 intervening spaces is certainly profitable, and can be re- 

 commended, especially to small farmers, who are seldom 

 in difficulties with regard to labour. Such crops, however, 

 require proper attention to be remunerative ; and sufficient 

 cultivation to attain this object without injury to the hop 

 plants is only possible where the latter are trained. 



Of course, even where no other crop is being grown, 

 the hop garden must be hoed and weeded at least twice 

 during the season, in order to keep the ground clean and 

 aerated. By this treatment the depressions around the plants 

 gradually disappear, and by the autumn the entire surface 



