The Cultivation of Hops. 
125 = 459 
The quantity of hops grown per acre in the plantations of 
ussex is also very large in favourable seasons. The soil upon 
hich they are grown is a tenacious clay on the Wadhurst Clay, 
('ealcl Clay, and Ashdown Sand strata, of the Lower Cretaceous 
irmation, which prevails in the eastern part of the county, where 
le hops are chiefly cultivated. From 15 to 20 years is the 
.erage duration of hop-grounds in Sussex and the Weald of 
ent ; the plants do not last so long upon the heavy clays of 
lese districts as on the " rock " of the Greensand formation. 
In the counties of Worcestershire and Herefordshire hops are 
iltivated principally upon the deep rich alluvium in the 
illeys of the rivers Severn, Teme, Wye, Lugg, and Froome ; and 
ion the marls, loams, and clays of the Old and New Red 
mdstone formation. The sorts that are principally cultivated 
e White Mathons, Cooper's Whites, Goldings, and Mayfield 
rapes, all of which, when well grown and well managed, are 
uch approved by the brewers in the larger towns of the Mid- 
nd Counties, who buy the greater part of the hops produced 
this district. 
Upon the eastern side of Surrey, and upon the western side of Hops grown 
e bordering county of Hampshire, the hop-plantations are andVreeif 
tuated mainly upon the clay and loamy soils of the Gault and ju Surrey and 
pper Greensand which crop up there. There is a peculiar Hants, 
oductive clay soil of the latter formation which is found in 
is district, and is locally termed " malm," upon which, as 
Farnham, for instance, hops of rare quality are grown, 
he hop-plant lasts a long while in this locality, and there are 
ip-grounds near Farnham almost as old as the oldest in Kent, 
illiams' Whitebines, Goldings, Greenbines, and Golding 
lusters, are the sorts usually cultivated in Surrey and Hamp- 
ire. Besides those enumerated above, there are various sorts 
early hops which are ready for picking from a fortnight to a 
eek before those that constitute the ordinary crop. Many 
these have been obtained by a process of selection, from 
ittings taken from certain plants that have been observed to 
ffer from their congeners in certain characteristics. The 
ramblings, and White's Early Goldings, are choice early 
)ps, which have been much grown in Kent during the last ten 
'ars, and which are ready to pick about ten days before Gold- 
gs and Grapes. There are other kinds, as Prolifics, which 
e ready a few days earlier still. 
In the chief hop-producing localities each farm has a certain Extent of hop- 
oportion of hop-land upon it, which, in most cases, tenants 
e bound by covenants in their leases or agreements to main- 
in in " full plant." In a few instances farms consist entirely 
hop-land ; for example, near Maidstone, in Mid Kent, there 
