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twenty Loads upon an Acre every 

 Year ; this they lay only on the 

 Hills, either about November, or in 

 the Spring ; which laft fome account 

 the bed time, when the Hops are 

 drefs'd to cover them after they are 

 cut ; but if it be done at this time, 

 the Compoft or Dung ought to be 

 very well rotted and fine. 



About the End of February, if the 

 Hops were planted the Spring 

 before, or if the Ground be weak, 

 they ought to be drefs'd in dry 

 Weather; but elfe, if the Ground 

 be ftrong, and in Perfection, the 

 Middle of March will be a good 

 time ; and the Latter-end of March, 

 if it be apt to produce over - rank 

 Binds, or the Beginning of April, 

 may be foon enough. 



In drefling thofe Hops that have 

 been planted the Year before, you 

 ought to cut off both the dead Tops, 

 and the young Suckers, which have 

 fprung up from the Sets, and alfo to 

 cover the Stocks with an Hill with 

 fine Earth a Finger's Length in 

 Thicknels. 



About the Middle of April the 

 Hops are to be poled, when the 

 Shoots begin to fprout up ; the Poles 

 mull be fet to the Hills deep into 

 the Ground, with a fquare iron 

 Pitcher or Crow, that they may the 

 better endure the Winds : three Poles 

 are fufficient for one Hill. Thefe 

 fhould be placed as near the Hills as 

 may be, with their bending Tops 

 turned outward from the Hill, to 

 prevent the Binds from entangling ; 

 and a Space between two Poles 

 ought to be left open to the South, to 

 admit the Sun-beams. 



If you wait till the Sprouts, or 

 young Binds, are grown to theLength 

 of a Foot, you will be able to make 

 a better Judgment where to place the 

 largeft Poles ; but if you Hay till 

 they are fo long as to fall into the 



Alleys, it will be injurious to them, 

 becaufe they will entangle one witii 

 another, and will not clafp about the 

 Pole fo readily. 



If, after the Hops are grown up, 

 you find any of them have been un- 

 der-poled, taller Poles may be 

 placed near thofe that are too flicrt, 

 to receive the Binds from them. 



Some advife, that if the Binds be 

 very ftrong, and overgrow the Poles 

 very much, you ftnke eft their 

 Heads with a long Switch, to in- 

 creaie their branching below. 



Toward the Latter end of May, 

 when you have made an End of 

 tying them, the Ground mult have 

 the Summer Digging : this is done 

 by calling up with the Spade fome 

 fine Earth into every Hill ; and a 

 Month after this is done, you muil 

 pare the Alleys with a Shovel, and 

 make the Hills up to a convenient 

 Bignefs. 



When the Hops blow, you mould 

 obferve if there be any wild barren 

 Hills among them, and mark them, 

 by driving a ftiarpen'd Stick into 

 every fuch Hill, that they may be 

 digg'd up, and replanted. 



Hops, as well as other Vegetables, 

 are liable to Diftempers and Di- 

 allers, and, among the reft, to the 

 Fen. 



About the Middle of July Hop'? 

 begin to blow, and will be ready to 

 gather about Bartholomew-tide. " A 

 Judgment may be made of their 

 Ripenefs, by their ftrong Scent, 

 their Hardnefs, and the brownilh 

 Colour of their Seed. 



When by thefe Tokens they ap- 

 pear to be ripe, they muft be pick'd 

 with all the Expedition pofiible ; for 

 if at this time a Storm of Wind 

 fhould come, it would do them great: 

 Damage, by breaking the Branches 

 and bruifing and difcoiouring the 

 Heps : and it is very well known, 



