328 
Fifty Years of Hop Farming. 
Bedded sets — that is, sets that have been raised in a nursery 
— are invariably used for planting. Two strong sets are suf- 
ficient for each plant-centre. It was the practice to put four or 
five sets, cut off the stocks in the spring, directly into the 
ground to form new plant-centres. In dry seasons many of 
these died, and it has been found that bedded sets alone can be 
relied upon to secure an even plant, 
Manuring. 
It was firmly believed by former generations of hop planters 
that farmyard manure from bullocks fed upon oil-cake was 
the only fit and proper fertiliser for hop plants. Rags and 
sprats were used to some extent, but rich farmyard manure 
was the main resource. To produce this the planters' yards 
were well stocked with cattle, fattened regardless of expense. 
Long prices were given for choice store animals for this purpose 
at the autumn fairs. In Kent and Sussex steers of the Sussex 
breed were in great request, and huge Sussex oxen — seven or 
eight years old, drafted from the working teams or yokes — made 
long prices as consumers of almost unlimited quantities of cake. 
Fattening cattle is comparatively but little practised now. 
London manure, and manure from towns, is brought in enor- 
mous quantities into the hop districts by rail, road, and river, 
and distributed by traction engines. This is held to be cheaper 
than home-made manure, and nearly as efficacious. 
Rape-dust is now most extensively used in hop cultivation, 
being quick in action and at the same time of a fairly lasting 
nature. It is usually applied in June, put round the hills or 
plant-centres at the rate of from 8 to 15 cwt. per acre. Gene- 
rally speaking, a winter dressing of London or farmyard manure, 
rags, sprats, shoddy, or fur-waste is given, and rape-dust is applied 
in the summer. 
Shoddy, the refuse of cloth manufactories, has to some 
extent taken the place of rags. As this varies much in cost 
and quality, the amount of nitrogen in its composition ranging 
from 2 to 10 per cent., it is put on at from 1 to 2£ tons per 
acre, at a cost of from 35s. to 85s. per ton. 
Fur-waste, from furriers' shops, is a manure that has come 
into vogue for hops within the last thirty years. " Rabbits' 
fur r ' manure, composed of the flick, feet and tails of rabbits, is 
a splendid dressing for hop-land. The price of this ranges 
from hi. 5s. to 81. per ton. When pure it is most efficacious, 
forcing the growth of the bines in an extraordinary degree. 
Other refuse products from manufactories of different kinds. 
