218 HOPS. 



wire. This treatment retards the longitudinal growth of the 

 bine, but, in the case of some varieties and soils, may also 

 reduce the crop. 



4. Abolition of cutting the stocks. Hermann was con- 

 vinced, from results obtained in his experimental (poled) 

 garden, that this affords a means of considerably retarding 

 the growth of bine. If stocks are left uncut in spring a 

 larger- number of eyes will develop, but the shoots are all 

 weaker than those put forth in smaller quantity after cutting ; 

 and, on removing the superfluous shoots later, the bine from 

 the uncut stocks — so the observation of twenty instances 

 teaches — remains smaller, both in length and thickness, than 

 that from cut stocks throughout the whole period of vegeta- 

 tion. Whether this intentional weakening of the bine 

 improves its productivity, may be left out of consideration. 



From the foregoing particulars it is evident that the 

 employment of the Hermann system entails a limitation of 

 the growth of the bine. Apart from the restricted manuring, 

 the topping of the bine, and the omission to cut the stocks, 

 this limiting tendency is assisted by the practice — unnatural 

 so far as the nature of the plant is concerned — of horizontal 

 training, since this procedure always results in a shortening 

 of the internodes. Moreover, since the bine is, of itself, 

 incapable of twining round horizontal supports, it entails 

 frequent tying, which costs both time and money. True, 

 the low-frame method presents many advantages ; but, on 

 the other hand, it is undeniable that the arbitrary control 

 thereby exercised over the habits of the plant can only lead 

 to the desired object under certain definite and limited 

 conditions. 



The best criterion of the utility of the low-frame system, 

 is the fact that it has by no means become so widely 

 extended in practice as was initially expected. To ascribe 

 this exclusively to conservatism on the part of growers 



