ANNUAL VINES 79 
that fact should not interfere with the planting 
of the hop as a garden subject. 
Seeds can be sown out of doors about the 
middle of April, but much better plants are raised 
by sowing in the greenhouse or frame about the 
middle of March. This does not hasten the time 
of flowering to any marked extent, but by earlier 
sowing you get a much larger plant; after the 
flowering period, all growth ceases. The hop 
climbs by means of tendrils and is a good, close 
clinger, growing to a height of ten and twelve 
feet. A good point about this plant is its free- 
branching habit. The branches stretch out hori- 
zontally to such a degree that an almost square 
space will be well covered. It needs a sunny 
location and should be watered freely during 
dry weather. ‘There is a variegated form (H. 
Japonicus var. variegatus), much more ornamental 
than the type. The leaves are white and green, 
beautifully mottled and striped, and, unlike most 
vines wherein the variegated form is weaker in 
growth than the type, it is just as strong a grower, 
and is usually preferred for planting near a house. 
THE EASIEST VINE TO GROW 
Very popular in countryside gardens every- 
where, because it requires so little attention, is 
