CULTIVATION OF HOPS. 289 



one which takes the expensive fertilizers. The soil, however, when the field is changed, after 

 eight to twelve years culture, contains a large amount of vegetable and mineral matter in com- 

 bination. It is not exhausted even for the hop, and the cereals may succeed it. 

 Hop leaves have the following constitution : 



Silica, 24-40 



Phosphates of lime and magnesia 19" 35 



Lime, 20-00 



Magnesia, 2-33 



Potash, 10-50 



Soda 4- 17 



Sulphuric acid, 1 • 50 



Chlorine, 1-75 



Carbonic acid, 15*01 



Organic matter, 2 - 00 



100-61 



The capsules differ somewhat from the leaves : they contain thirty per cent of the earthy 

 phosphates, less potash and lime, but about the same proportion of silica, though rather greater. 

 The lime amounts to between five and six per cent. A full supply of bone earth, native phos- 

 phates, or those fertilizers rich in phosphates, is important, to secure a full development of the 

 hop. 



To be more particular in describing the details of hop culture : the best soil for the hop, is 

 a calcareous loam, by which is meant a deep soil resting on limestone or a calcareous shale. 

 It is necessary to provide for a vigorous start at the commencement of the season, for upon this 

 depends the yield of hops, all things being equal. The field selected must have been devoted 

 to other crops rather than the hop, for the ten preceding years. The field, if in turf, should be 

 ploughed in autumn. In the spring it is to be supplied with rich barn-yard manure, and then 

 ploughed again. Early in April layers or slips of the hop are planted in rows, six feet apart, 

 in one way, and eight the other. The first year is a preparatory one, and a crop is not ex- 

 pected. To keep the field clean, and receive some return from it, corn is planted in the inter- 

 mediate spaces, and the vines of the hop are suffered to run about the field, without trimming 

 or poling. Early in the next season, however, the field is broken up with the cultivator : the 

 hop cultivator requires teeth two inches longer than for corn. This finished, the next step is 

 to set the poles. The instrument for making the holes is constructed like the common bar, 

 except that it bulges considerably at the lower end, where, in the largest place, it is two inches 

 in diameter. Two poles are required for each hill ; they are set eighteen inches apart, and 

 should be fourteen to sixteen feet long. The hop comes up in numerous shoots, and when 

 some of them are eighteen inches long, they require hoeing. In doing this two of the most 

 thrifty vines are secured to each pole, by a woolen thread ; the others are allowed to grow 

 a while, for the purpose of replacing one or both, if they should fail, or accident happen to 

 [Agricultural Report — Vol. hi.] 37 



