Investigations upon the Growth of Hops. 465 



Another advantage of the wider alleys and of wide 

 spacing between the hills comes from the greater exposure 

 of the growing bine and hops to sun and air ; the result is 

 that the hops become harder, better developed, and in 

 consequence more resistant to blight and mould ; there are not 

 so many of the soft green half grown hops that are to be seen 

 in a crowded garden. 



As far as can be seen from the plots at Wye, where the 

 alleys vary from 10 ft. to 6 ft. in width, and the hills from 

 700 to 1,200 per acre, there is not much difference in yield, 

 taking the mean of several years ; on the whole, the more 

 widely planted plots have given the larger crops, except in 

 very short seasons like 1900, when the more closely planted 

 plots had an advantage. 



Our general impression is that the 8 ft. square plant has 

 given the best results, if we cake into account the quality of 

 the hops grown on this system, and their freedom from 

 disease, as well as the gross weight per acre. The plot with 

 alleys 10 ft. wide, though growing very fine hops, costs too 

 much for training up the flat string. 



In the so-called umbrella system there is a pole to each 

 hill, but the lines are trained to four strings, which run up 

 from the hills north, south, east, and west, to permanent 

 wires at the 12 foot 6 inch level, until the whole arrangement 

 somewhat resembles the frame of an umbrella with four ribs 

 only, stuck into the ground handle downwards. The strings 

 from adjoining hills to a certain extent cross one another, 

 though actual contact is avoided. Seen from above when the 

 plant is fully grown the system seems to form a series of 

 four sided cups, up the centre of each of which comes a pole. 

 In the Worcester system the hills are set more closely to- 

 gether, the alleys are seven or eight feet wide, but in the 

 rows the individual plants are only from 3 feet to 3 feet 

 6 inches apart, thus giving about twice as many hills 

 per acre as in the Kentish systems. From each hill two 

 strings are led at an angle with the rectangular plan of the 

 garden to overhead wires running either above the centre 

 of the alley or above the adjoining row of hills. The result 

 is a series of interlacing strings, which are never in contact, 



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