902 



Hop Cultivation. 



[FEB., 



wash, with the result that the aphides upon these parts escape 

 unhurt. 



The nozzles that are directed upon the topmost leaves, 

 and which are therefore at a greater distance than 2 ft. 

 from the leaves, should be adjusted to give a coarser spray 

 than the lower nozzles so as to ensure the spray hitting these 

 with plenty of force. 



Horse washing machines of the most up-to-date pattern 

 do their work very efficiently. It must be remembered, how- 

 ever, that the ends of the alleys are liable to be somewhat 

 imperfectly washed owing to the difficulty of drawing the 

 machine at full speed at the beginning of the alley, and 

 consequently the outsides need in most cases to be washed 

 by hand. 



Again, in very wet weather the wheels of the machines 

 skid in the soft ground and consequently will not work the 

 pumps, with the result that the operation has to be stopped. 



(iii.) Steam Washing. — In steam washing, as it is usually 

 called (though the force may be equally well derived from 

 an oil engine as from a steam engine), the engine and pump 

 remain fixed near the water supply throughout the season. 



The wash is led from the pump through fixed iron pipes to 

 stand pipes situated at frequent distances throughout the 

 garden. 



From the stand pipes the wash is led through rubber hose 

 to the nozzles and these nozzles are directed upon the hop 

 leaves by manual labour. 



The nozzles are fixed to brass rods 5 or 6 ft. long. The 

 value of the rods lies in the fact that the men can hold the 

 nozzles as close to the topmost leaves as desired. 



This method is in many respects superior to that of horse 

 washing. It can be equally well employed when the bines 

 are short as when they have reached full height. Further, 

 parts of the garden which are more badly blighted, or where 

 the foliage is more dense, can be given a more thorough 

 washing than where the blight is less severe or the foliage 

 less dense. 



Moreover, a wet state of the ground does not hinder 

 washing by this means as in the case of horse washing. 

 In general, steam washing is the most effective means of 



