i9io.] 



Hop Cultivation. 



885 



has lately been proved by Howard, Salmon and the writer* 

 that the presence of male hops flowering at the time when the 

 particular hop is in "burr" is a very important factor in 

 determining the weight of crop produced, since in the absence 

 of males the hops hang in burr a long time and finally 

 produce small seedless hops, whereas in the presence of 

 suitable males w T ell-grown and seeded hops are produced. 



Subsequent Treatment. — Although it rarely happens that 

 any crop worth picking is grown the first year, the hop- 

 grower takes great trouble to make the plants grow as 

 vigorously as possible the first year, because the second year's 

 growth and crop depend very largely upon the first year's 

 growth, and upon the reserves which the plant stores in its 

 root-stock at the end of the first year. 



To obtain this good growth the manuring is heavy and 

 upon similar lines to that which will be described later under 

 general manuring of hops; and in addition to the ordinary 

 manuring, a dressing of 5-10 cwt. of some nitrogenous 

 artificial manure, such as fish guano, is often hoed in close 

 to the young hills in the spring. 



Sometimes short poles (5 or 6 ft. long) are put one to each 

 hill, the hop bines being trained to them ; in some cases, how- 

 ever, no poles are put up in the first year, but during July 

 the hop shoots are just tied into a knot above the crown of 

 each hill. The former practice is best since it gives the plant 

 a better chance to develop. 



A crop of mangolds or potatoes is usually grown between 

 the rows of hops the first year, but these should not be 

 planted close to the hops. Beans are also sometimes grown 

 between the hops. 



Annual Operations. 



Manuring. — In the cultivation of hops under the present 

 conditions in England the expenses of washing for aphis, 

 sulphuring for mould, erection of wirework, training, etc., are 

 so great that it is important to obtain as large a crop as 

 possible in order that these expenses may be as small as 

 possible per cwt. of crop; for this reason the amount of 

 manure applied to a hop garden is very great compared with 



* journal of the South-Eastem Agricultural College, 1905, 1908, and 1909. 



