VEGETABLES — DESCRIPTION AND CULTUEE. 



237 



HOP.— (Sumulus Lupulus.) 



The hop is a plant of the Hemp or Nettle Family, with 

 a perennial root, throwing out many herbaceous climbing 

 stems, and is found growing wild on the banks of rivers 

 in Europe, Siberia, and our own country. It was culti- 

 vated in England, in or before 1525, when the old dog- 

 gerel states : 



" Hops, heresy, pickerel, and beer, 

 Were brought into England in one year." 



A few roots should be in the garden, as they are useful in 

 making yeast and beer. 



Culture. — It is propagated "by- dividing the roots in au- 

 tumn and spring. It being dioecious, care should be taken 

 to get sets from the pistillate plants ; to produce the crop 

 in perfection, there should be a male plant in the vicinity. 

 Give the plant a deep, rich soil; put two or three plants, 

 six inches apart, in a hill, making with the plants, when 

 set, a triangle, and the hills six or eight feet apart. Keep 

 the ground free from weeds, and well stirred. Manure 

 them every year. Give them poles twelve or fourteen 

 feet long, and two or three poles to each hill. Gather 

 when of a straw color, and the inside of the hop is cover- 

 ed with a plentiful yellow dust, and the seeds are brown ; 

 dry thoroughly, and put them up in bags for use. 



Use. — The principal use of the hop is in the preparation 

 of yeast, etc. The young shoots and suckers are boiled 

 and eaten as asparagus. It is very largely cultivated 

 in fields, to be used in the manufacture of ale and strong 

 beer. Its medicinal qualities are tonic and soporific. In 

 gardens it is often grown as a screen, to hide unsightly 

 objects, the plants being set twelve inches asunder in a 

 row, and staked, or trained on a trellis. 



