CULTIVATION. 173 



an application of about one gallon of dilute liquid manure 

 to each stock, or a weak solution of nitrate of soda in 

 water, will prove beneficial, as also when the leaves of the 

 hop have to be plucked off in consequence of mildew. 

 Again, the application of similar rapid fertilisers is some- 

 times advisable in old gardens where the root activity of 

 the plants is naturally low, the best time for the applica- 

 tion being at the first or second hoeing. In some places it 

 is customary to give the hops a dressing of liquid manure 

 shortly before they come into' bloom, but this is advisable 

 only on the poorer classes of soil. 



Next to stall manure, compost or mixed manure finds 

 the most widespread application. The quality and com- 

 position of compost vary considerably according to the 

 materials employed in its preparation, the principal value 

 of this class of manure consisting in the mineral plant 

 food, since the percentage of nitrogen is almost invariably 

 lower than in stall manure. Hence compost is less stimu- 

 lating to the production of foliage, and has a more favour- 

 able influence on the quantity and quality of the cones ; 

 and its composition renders it more suitable for soils that 

 are rich in humus and nitrogen. As, however, compost 

 is not capable of improving the physical character of soils, 

 which is one of the principal objects to be kept in mind in 

 the manuring of hop gardens, it cannot, when used alone, 

 permanently fulfil the purpose in view. Generally the 

 conditions are such that it is preferable to employ stall 

 manure and compost as the principal fertiliser in alternate 

 years, the reason for such a method, apart from its advis- 

 abihty on soils rich in nitrogen, being that many farms 

 produce an insufficient quantity of stall manure to supply 

 the hop gardens every year without robbing the rest of 

 the arable land. If the soil of the hop garden is natur- 

 ally rich in nitrogenous matter, dressing with stall manure 



