12Q = 460 
The Cultivation of Hoj)s. 
is a farm of over 300 acres almost " in a ring fence," the who 
of which, with the exception of four or five acres of lucerne f 
the horses, is planted with hops. A few planters in Mid ar 
East Kent, where the average number of acres of hop-land he 
by single individuals is greater than in any other part of En. 
land, hold from 180 to 350 acres of hop-land. Many hold fro 
80 to 120 acres, and many more from 40 to 80 acres, and t) 
average extent of the holdings in these districts may be put 
50 acres per planter. These holdings are smaller in the Wea 
of Kent and in Sussex than in other places. Here and the 
leviathans may be found who have 80 or 90 acres, but tl 
average can hardly be put higher than 20 acres. Hop-land 
Hampshire, Surrey, Worcester, and Hereford, is also distributi 
among many individuals. In the former counties 100 acres, ai 
in the latter 80 acres, form the maximum holdings of planters 
With regard to the cultivation and management of hops, tl 
details are practically the same in principle throughout the kin 
dom, and it will be convenient to describe the usual method 
alluding only to important differences where these occur. 
Mode of culti- The land, before it is planted with hops, either is ploughi 
Tation. deeply as possible, with a subsoiling machine following tl 
plough to break up and disintegrate the hard bottom ; or it 
trenched — that is, it is dug by hand " two spits " deep, or 
the depth of two spades, which is a more costly operation. T! 
plants are generally set at a distance of 6 feet 6 inches betwet 
each " hill " or plant centre, which would give 1030 hills to tl 
acre. In some cases there are 1200, and even as many as 14( 
hills to an acre ; but experience has shown that quite as mai 
hops can be grown with a plant of 1030 hills to the acre as wi 
a larger number of hills. With the lesser number of hills t' 
expenses of poling, dressing, tying, and hand-hoeing are al 
less. More room is obtained to cultivate between the rows, a) 
the air and heat of the sun permeate more thoroughly among t 
plants. The hop-plants are invariably raised from " sets " — ci 
tings taken from the hills when they are dressed or cut in t 
early spring-time.* These are put into a nursery until the f( 
lowing autumn, by which time, if they have been careful 
attended to, they have good roots and are fit for planting. Tw( 
good sets are considered enough to form a hill or plant centi 
Sets sell at from 3s. to 15s. per 100; the average price brii 
about 5s. A small stake is put to each hill the first year to pi 
* Hop-plants raised from seed cannot be depended upon, on account of t 
strong tendency to reversion to the wild type. Being dicecious, fertilisatimi 
l)robably eflccted frequently by the pollen from wild plants, which is prepoti 
over that of the cultivated varieties. 
t One gnod well-rooted set, in good soil, will make as good a stock as twi' 
more, but it is safer to put two in for fear of wii'eworms. 
1*. 
