892 



Hop Cultivation. 



[FEB., 



so that when the wind blows all the strings swing up or down 

 together instead of swinging independently and so chafing. 



In the Butcher system, as mentioned above, all the strings 

 throughout the garden slope in one direction, consequently, 

 when the strings are laden with bines and hops there is a 

 very great strain in this direction upon the wire and poles. 

 In order to withstand this strain stout wires are fixed to the 

 tops of the poles at right angles to the string wires, and these 

 wires need to be very securely fixed to "hold fasts" at the 

 outside of the garden to counteract this strain. If these 

 straining wires break or give way the whole of the wirework 

 is likely to fall down flat, and consequently it is most impor- 

 tant that these shall be strong and secure. 



(ii.) Worcester System. — Unlike the Butcher plan the 



Worcester System of Training Hops. 

 A A, top wires ; X X, cross strain wires ; pegs ; S, strings. 

 Fig. 3. — End view. Fig. 4. — Side view. 



strings in this system slope in two directions opposite to each 

 other. 



The width of the alleys is from 7 to 8 ft. and the hills are- 

 planted more closely in the rows, being usually 3 ft. 6 in. 

 apart. 



The wires are arranged quite differently from those in the 

 Butcher system ; there are no bottom and no middle wires. 

 There are tw T o top wires which run parellel to each other 

 4 ft. apart down the middle of each alley and are supported 

 by being bound upon cross wires, which are in turn fixed 

 to the poles. See Figs. 3 and 4. 



