CULTIVATION. 207 



In order to render the whole system rigid, the straining 

 wires and cross wires must be drawn perfectly tight, and 

 anchored in a suitable manner. If this precaution is omitted 

 the wires will " give " sooner or later, and hang in festoons, 

 the loosely hanging training wires being then blown about 

 by the wind with injurious results. 



Under certain circumstances strong iron posts, to which 

 the wires can be fastened and strained, will serve the place 

 of anchors, though the plan illustrated in Fig. 49 is prefer- 

 able. The method shown consists in digging pits about 20 

 inches deep, in each of which is embedded an oaken slab 

 40 inches by 4 inches, provided with slings of iron wire, and 

 then weighted with stones and covered up with soil. The 

 projecting eyelet terminals of the slings are then attached to 

 the straining wires, and the latter drawn tight. To lower 

 the bines and wires at picking time the connection between 

 the straining wires and the slings is relaxed. 



Since the stability , of the frame is mainly dependent on 

 the degree of tension imparted to the wires employed for 

 stiffening the frame, particular attention must be bestowed 

 on the straining of these wires. For this purpose an ordinary 

 windlass or a special lever wire-straining tongs (Fig. 50) is 

 used.^ 



The Principal Types of Frames. 



It would occupy too much space, without any useful 

 result, to describe all the known kinds of frame-work for 

 hop cultivation, some of which have merely been tried ex- 

 perimentally. Consequently only a few typical forms will 

 now be dealt with, such as have been used in modified 

 shapes in practice, the remainder being merely briefly 

 touched upon. 



1 Strebel, Handbuch des Hapfenhcmes 



