CULTIVATION. 181 



injuring the quality or weight of the crop, provided the 

 artificials be correctly selected for replacing the materials 

 removed from the soil. 



2. The excessive use of nitrate of soda or other rapid 

 nitrogenous fertilisers stimulates the hop to luxuriance of 

 foliage and stem, but at the same time exercises an un- 

 favourable influence on the form and quality of the cones, 

 frequently causing the latter to become loose and lumpy in 

 form and of disagreeable odour. 



3. Manuring vyith phosphoric acid and potash, vyithout 

 any or more than a small addition of nitrogen, generally 

 leads to a more compact growth of the plant, the cones 

 being usually handsome and sightly in appearance, and 

 with an agreeable aromatic odour. 



4. In view of the high percentage of potash in hops 

 particular attention must be directed to this constituent 

 of plant food, which has proved useful when employed 

 alone on soils wherein it is naturally deficient. Of the 

 potash salts used the sulphate is preferable to the chloride. 



5. An excess of nitrogen retards the ripening of the 

 cones, whereas phosphoric acid and potash shorten the 

 vegetative period. 



Finally, it may be remarked that the property of favour- 

 ing the production of flowers, ascribed to phosphoric acid 

 in some quarters, has not, so far, been shown conclusively 

 to exist, and is probably mythical. 



Training the Hop Plant. 



The natural requirement of the hop, namely, the satis- 

 faction of its climbing impulse, can be complied with in a 

 variety of ways, though, a few special exceptions apart, only 

 two principal essentially different methods of training are 

 practised, viz., 1. Pole work, in which the plants are trained 



