1012 



Cultivation of the Hop Crop. 



[Feb., 



of the hops, while the development of the hop mould is encouraged and the 

 difficulties of killing all the aphis are greatly increased. 



It can easily be realised, therefore, that it is essential to adjust the supply 

 of nitrogenous plant food during the growing period ; a fair supply during 

 the early season so as to produce a vigorous yet hardy and short-jointed 

 growth to furnish the strings ; an abundant supply during mid-season so that 

 the bine may form plenty of burr and so that this may "roll" out into fine 

 large hops ; but a restricted supply when the hops are ripening so that they 

 may develop a good primrose colour. 



Phosphates are another important ingredient in all soils, and probably no 

 soil contains a sufficiency for the intensive production of any crop. The 

 influence of phosphates upon plant growth is not so well-defined as that of 

 nitrogen, none the less it is known to be intimately associated with certain 

 processes in the plant : thus it plays an important part in root development 

 and is of great importance in the formation and ripening of flowers and seeds 

 and consequently of the hop cones : it will be noted that these important 

 influences are not so easily observable as the effect of nitrogen, which produces 

 a vivid dark green colour and rapid growth, and consequently the effect of 

 ample phosphatic manuring may be valued too lowly unless the test of 

 weighing the crop is applied : when this is done, however, its value is 

 generally made apparent. 



Potash is generally plentiful in clay soils and deficient in light soils ; on 

 the clays little if any potash requires to be supplied beyond that contained in 

 the frequent dressings of dung, but on light soils it is necessary to include 

 some artificial potash in the manuiial scheme. 



Practice in Manuring.— Previous to planting and during the 

 first few years in the life of a hop garden, manuring should be 

 exceptionally heavy so as to bring the garden rapidly to a high 

 state of fertility ; this of course is especially true in the case of 

 any element of plant food in which the soil is known to be 

 deficient. It will perhaps be convenient to examine the manur- 

 ing, in the same order in which the plant food has been 

 considered : — 



Lime. — Any deficiency of lime, indicated by sourness of soil 

 or bad textural conditions, should be remedied at once by a heavy 

 application and the lime-content should be maintained in any 

 garden in which this is small by repeated applications of J to 

 1 ton of quick or ground lime every fourth year; or by the 

 application of 8 or 10 loads of chalk once in ten years. 



Organic Manure. — By far the best means of increasing this 

 constituent of the soil is by the use of farmyard manure — unfor- 

 tunately it is rarely the case that sufficient can be obtained, in 

 which case horse manure from the towns is the best substitute, 

 and. failing this, shoddy* may be and is used in large quantities 

 by hop-growers; where shoddy is used, it is important to realise 



c See Leaflet Xo. 175. 



