CULTIVATION. 195 



In order to avoid arbitrarily restricting the longitudinal 

 development of the plant as a result of reducing the height 

 of the frames, a matter of some imporbance in the case of 

 free-growing varieties of the hop, recourse was had to train- 

 ing on the slope. This is done by stretching the training 

 wires in a sloping direction from the stocks, to meet the 

 horizontal wire running exactly over each row of plants. 

 Again the longitudinal wires are arranged to run midway 

 between each pair of rows, the ascending wire being then 

 led straight up to meet them on the right and left hand 

 alternately; or else, in order to increase the length of the 

 bine without raising the frame, the training wires are 

 run up with a double slant so as to meet the head wire at 

 an acute angle. 



In this manner the original high frames (up to 33 ft.), 

 which were not very storm-proof, have gradually given way 

 to the lower systems, now largely employed in one modifica- 

 tion or another. 



In the case of high frames, even though the evil of cutting 

 the lines at picking time can be avoided, either by attaching 

 the upright wires to the head wires by hooks and eyes, or by 

 mounting the head wires so that they can be lowered and 

 the line thus brought to a convenient height for picking 

 without the aid of ladders, there still arises the further task 

 of mounting the frames so as, without adding to the expense, 

 to increase their security in case of storms, and at the same 

 time enable the harvest and other work to be carried on from 

 the ground without need for any special prehminary measures. 

 The low-frame, combined upright and incHned system, al- 

 though tried earlier, really owes its adoption to the result 

 of tbese attempts, the principal representative of the class 

 being the Hermann system, the frames of which were 

 originally only about 80 inches high. It was soon found, 

 however, that the close restriction thus placed on the growth 



