462 Investigations upon the Growth of Hops. 



is termed a hill (two or three individual stocks may be 

 planted to form one hill). Some form of rectangular planting: 

 is always adopted, the number of hills per acre varying be- 

 tween 700 and 1,700. The gangways along which cultivation 

 proceeds are known as " alleys " ; their width may be any- 

 thing from 6 to 10 feet. Formerly the hop grew up a pole; 

 two or three poles, commonly of sweet chestnut, and 14 to 

 j 8 feet long, creosoted at the base, were set to each hilL 

 Poles are still common, especially in the Weald and in the 

 Farnham district, but they are giving place to permanent 

 structures of wire strained on stout posts ; to the wires are 

 laced each year "strings" of coir yarn about j inch in 

 diameter, and with a breaking strain of about 50 lbs., 

 up which the hopbine twines. The College hop garden at 

 Wye was laid out to test the comparative value of the old 

 poling system and of the different methods of arranging the 

 wires and string. 



Poles v. String. 



The following table shows the comparative crop on the 

 plot poled with two poles to the hill, as against the average 

 on all the other plots in the same garden where the hops 

 were grown upon string and wire : — 



Year. Average crop upon string. Crop on poles.. 



1897 - - - - 100 90 

 1898 100 77 



The collateral advantages of growing hops upon string,, 

 their greater health, and the ease with which they can be 

 " washed " to free them from mould or green fly, seemed to 

 render the further testing of the growth upon poles a work or 

 supererogation. The poles were therefore discontinued, 

 though one. point connected with their use was the subject of 

 further investigation. 



When hops are grown upon poles it is necessary to sever 

 the bine from the rootstock when the pole is pulled up in 

 order to pick the hops. At this time the bine and leaves are 

 still green, and presumably contain nutrient material — 

 nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash — which would be with- 

 drawn into the permanent rootstcck il the plant were allowed 



