CULTIVATION. 125 



extension is therefore advisable in the interests of hop- 

 growers themselves. 



Cutting. 



Before writing the present work the author applied for 

 advice to various authorities, both theoretical and practical, 

 and on the subject of the present section — cutting^ — ^was 

 favoured by Mr. Emanuel Zelinka, manager of the hop 

 plantations of Count Kleinmichel at Potschep (Tschernigov, 

 Russia), with a description of the process so comprehensive 

 as to appear particularly adapted for elucidating the matter 

 under consideration, and for which the author desires to 

 warmly express his indebtedness to that gentleman. 



Zelinka says : " The object of cutting the hop stock is to 

 remove the superfluous shoots or eyes, so that the nutrient 

 material absorbed by the roots fnay be conveyed to merely 

 a few residual shoots and favour their growth. 



" This, or some similar device is also applied to the cul- 

 tivation of other forms of plants. The concentration of the 

 supply of nutriment alters the growth of the portions of the 

 plant left standing and increases their luxuriance, the cel- 

 lular texture becoming more abundant and the exterior 

 portions of the plant increasing in size. In the hop plant 

 this change is manifested by the greater length and thickness 

 of the bine, larger leaves, longer laterals, and more abundant 

 crop of cones. The activity of the roots is not in itself 

 quickened by the cutting of the stock, but is rather dimin- 

 ished, especially at first, so long as the food supphed does 

 not find any corresponding ready utilisation. This dimin- 

 ution is, however, very much less than the reduction in 

 volume of the aerial portions of the plant occasioned by the 

 cutting, and consequently the resulting artificial surplus of 

 root activity is placed to the good of the plant. 



