CULTIVATION. 161 



sorts) and the early or late commencement of spring 

 weather. 



The following chart shows the customary dates at which 

 spring cutting is practised in the various continental hop 

 districts, from which it appears that the work extends 

 from February to May, but that in the majority of places 

 April is the prevailing month ; whilst only in a few in- 

 stances, such as Jura, Ehenish Prussia and Wiirtemburg, 

 are the hops cut as early as February, and on the other 

 hand it is not completed until May in Bohemia, Upper 

 Austria, Sweden and Eussia. 



Theoretically considered, early cutting appears best, 

 but on practical grounds late cutting is not infrequently 

 found desirable. Physiological considerations and the 

 economy of nutrient material speak in favour of the former 

 course : the earlier the cutting the less will the plant be 

 weakened and the smaller the amount of stored up food- 

 stuff wasted ; furthermore, the earlier will the shoots come 

 up and hence the vegetative period and working life of the 

 plant be increased. For these reasons early cutting is 

 desirable wherever situation and climate permit. Where, 

 however, the question of securing the crop is brought to 

 the fore by reason of adverse conditions of weather, then 

 late cutting increases in importance, delay being advisable, 

 not only on account of late spring frosts, but also by reason 

 of the weather usually experienced at flowering and fruiting 

 time. Thus, the rainless, hot, windy weather occurring 

 regularly at a stated period of summer in some districts, 

 and injurious to the bloom, may be circumvented by 

 retarding the cutting so that inflorescence occurs later 

 and at a less unfavourable time. Hop districts little affected 

 by late spring frosts are unfortunately rare, and in most 

 districts these occur with great regularity, though the 



damage done is not uniformly great, a good deal depending 



11 



