i9io.] 



Hop Cultivation. 



891 



the backs of the sloping hops and cause a minimum of 

 damage. 



In this system the hills are usually planted 6 ft. 6 in. apart 

 both ways, though in many gardens the width of the alley is 

 now somewhat greater (7 or 8 ft.) to allow dung carts to pass 

 more readily. 



A row of stout poles is set in each row of hop hills, one 

 pole being placed to every two or three hills ; the poles stand 

 usually 12 or 13 ft. out of the ground. Three parallel wires 

 are fixed to each row of poles; the bottom wire is about 6 in. 

 above the ground, the middle wire about 4 ft. 6 in. high, and 

 the top wire about 6 in. from the tops of the poles. 



Each hill has three strings; the strings are tied at equal 

 distances apart on the top wire of one row of poles ; they 



Butcher System of Training Hops. 



A A, top wires ; B B, middle wires ; C C, bottom wires ; XX, cross strain wires ; 

 H, hop hills ; S, strings. 

 Fig. 1. — End view. Fig. 2. — Side view. 



slope across the alley to the middle wire of the next row, to 

 which they are hitched at equal distances apart ; from the 

 middle wire three strings converge to each hop hill and are 

 tied to the bottom wire immediately above it. See Figs. 1 

 and 2. 



If the hills are 6 ft. 6 in. apart, each string is 2 ft; 2 in. 

 from the strings on either side as they slope across the alley; 

 in windy weather, especially in wide alleys, the hops upon 

 one string are liable to chafe against those on the neigh- 

 bouring strings, and in order to minimise this a cross string 

 is twisted round each sloping string half-way across the alley, 



