192-2.] 



Cultivation of the Hop Crop. 



1101 



these are fastened to pegs or hooks in the ground, and led in 

 opposite directions to the nearest string wires above, usually 

 without any coupling at breast level. The slope given to the 

 string is much less than either in the Butcher or in the 

 Umbrella, but on the other hand the top wires are generally 

 higher and in some cases even 18 ft. high. 



Worcester System of Training Hops. 

 XX, cross straining wires; AA, string wires: BS, strings; PP, pegs. 

 Fig. 4.— End view. F 1G . 5. g^e view. 



The advantages of the Worcester System are considerable: 

 ihe heads are carried over the centre of the alley and are con- 

 sequently more easily washed than with any other system ; the 

 heads are well exposed to light and air, and because the slope 

 is more nearly vertical less training is required. As in the case 

 of the Umbrella System, the pull of each string is counter- 

 be* lanced so that the strain on the wire-work is not great. 

 The disadvantages are that cross cultivation is impossible and 

 that a greater number of " sets " are required in planting in 

 the typical case, but this cost may be overcome if 4 strings are 

 supplied to each hill and these distributed along a middle^wire. 



The Cross Butcher System (Figs. 6 and 7) is the most recent 

 development of stringing systems; it is a modification of the 

 Batcher System so as to obtain the advantages of the Umbrella 

 System. The hills are planted as for ordinary Butcher work, 

 but the poles are set like the Umbrella close against the hill. 

 On the other hand the cross-wires are not carried over everv 

 lull but over every second hill, and, consequently, the poles 

 are set in rows in two directions as in the Butcher work. Xo 

 bottom or middle wires are necessary. Four strings are used 

 lor each hill; they are tied to pegs below, coupled in pairs at 



