Investigations upon the Growth of Hops. 463 



to ripen and die off in a natural way. It was noticed that 

 where the bine had been cut at the preceding picking time, 

 the early growth was weaker than on the other plots, where 

 the hops were picked off bines which are left attached to the 

 rootstock till they are quite " dead," in October or November, 

 Detailed analyses were made of the green bine and leaves at 

 picking time, and later of the corresponding dead stuff ; the 

 results confirmed the idea that there is a return of material 

 to the root of the hop. The following table shows the 

 amount of these nutrient materials in the hop plant, calcu- 

 lated as lbs. per acre for an average crop, and apportioned 

 between the hops themselves which are sold, the dead 

 bine and leaves which are removed, and that which was 

 present in the green bine and leaves at picking time, but 

 which returns to the root later, if the bine be not cut. 

 Constituents of hop crop, lbs. per acre : — 





In Hops. 



Dead Bine 

 and Leaves. 



Returned to 

 Root. 



Total. 



Nitrogen 



5o-5 





20 "6 



88-6 



Phosphoric Acid - 



157 



4-8 



4-8 



25"3 



Potash - 



39 -o 



4 "4 



26-1 



69*5 



Lime - 



16-2 



88-i 



4 '?. 



108-5 



The effect on the succeeding crop of the loss to the stock 

 caused by cutting away the bine at picking time, was studied 

 by observing the later crops upon the plot which had been 

 poled, and was converted into string work after 1898. The 

 weakening effect was noticed in the succeeding crops for two 

 seasons, as shown in the table below : — 



1897 

 1898 

 1899 

 1900 

 1901 



Mode of 

 Training. 



Poles 



Poles 



String 



String 



String 



Treatment 

 Previous 

 Harvest. 



Not cut. 



Cut 



Cut 

 Not cut. 

 Not cut. 



Comparative 

 Crop on 

 Plot. 



90 

 77 

 84 



93 

 102 



Average of 

 otherStringed 

 Plots. 



100 

 100 

 100 

 100 

 100 



To the many disadvantages inherent in the old plan of 

 growing hops upon poles, such as their uneven ripening and 



