CULTIVATION. 139 



should be trimmed thoroughly ; but this purposeless cutting 

 is not only a waste of time but also positively injurious to 

 the plant, by robbing the latter of organs contributing to its 

 nourishment. All true roots round the stock, be they never 

 so small, should be left untouched, and should be protected 

 as much as possible when uncovering the stock. If, how- 

 ever, any of them are wounded, notwithstanding all the care 

 employed, it becomes permissible to cut the same off clean. 

 Under what condition the lateral roots may be safely removed 

 is a point that will be dealt with later on. 



When the stock has been trimmed and all the trimmings 

 collected in the basket, so that the shoots are fully visible 

 from tip to base, the true work of cutting is began, in con- 

 nection with which important operation the following rules 

 should be observed : — 



(1) The knife used must be very sharp, and the cut 

 surface on the shoots should be clean, true, somewhat 

 aslant, and without any constriction, fissure or tear. The 

 blade should be as thin as possible, and shaped with a 

 curve towards the tip ; and, according to the hardness of 

 the steel, must be sharpened with a whetstone at intervals 

 during the work. In large gardens, where a number of 

 men are engaged in cutting, it is better to employ a man, 

 skilled in the task, to keep all the knives in good cutting 

 order. The best hop knives are made from scythe-points 

 (Fig. 40), or those of the Wiirtemburg type (Fig. 41), 

 provided the blades are thin enough. 



To prevent the splitting of the shoots, the latter should 

 be held in the .other hand and drawn towards the edge of 

 the knife, as well as inclined sideways away from the stock. 



(2) The cut should be niade from below upwards, sloping 

 towards the stock, and, if possible, by a single stroke of the 

 knife at the proper height, etc., so that no after trimming 

 is required. 



