502 



Manuring of Hops. 



appeared to be fairly active in the search for food, but Mr- 

 Norbury found that they did not, as a rule, climb to a greater 

 height than five or six feet from the ground, and he noticed 

 them constantly on the ground and among the clods. 



They bred successfully, their larvae being easily distinguish- 

 able by their colour and size. They were very active, and 

 undoubtedly destroyed a large quantity of aphides. 



Mr. Norbury only found it necessary to wash his hops once, 

 although most of his neighbours washed from two to four times. 

 He does not, however, consider this fact a good criterion, as his 

 is a new plantation, half a mile from the nearest hopyard, and 

 the ground was therefore probably not previously infested with 

 vermin. Washing did not kill the ladybirds, but only knocked 

 them off the bine temporarily. 



The attack of aphis suddenly ceased towards the latter part 

 of July, and the ladybirds were subsequently found scattered all 

 over the farm, and as far as 600 yards from the hopyard. They 

 were principally in amongst the mangolds, upon which they 

 must also have laid their eggs, for a number of " colliers " (larvae) 

 were at one time noticed upon the leaves. 



Like so many experiments of a similar nature, it is not easy 

 to estimate with any degree of certainty the result of a single 

 trial, owing to the difficulty of gauging climatic causes, &c, 

 and to the other circumstances already mentioned. 



Mr. Norbury is accordingly unable to say whether the result 

 can be held to have proved a financial success. Had a larger 

 number survived, he has no doubt that they would have more 

 than amply repaid the outlay. It will be interesting to see 

 whether any of the first consignment manage to survive the 

 English winter. 



Manuring of Hops* 



Hops, like most luxuriantly growing plants, are very re- 

 sponsive to nitrogenous manures ; and this observation formerly 

 led to the neglect of phosphates and potash as ingredients in 

 manures for this crop. Of late years, however, Mr. A. D. 



* The Manuring of Hops. By Bernard Dyer, D. Sc. (Vinton & Co. Price is.) 



