Manageynent of Hops. 
547 
went up large and long poles, produced a great quantity of bine 
and a fair quantity of burr. The hops were generally small, 
loose, and hover. Being at that time satisfied, from what I had 
before seen, that the male plant would improve them, I planted 
one hill in every 144 (12 each way distant) with them, taking 
up the stock in the hill, thoroughly eradicating every root, filling 
up the hole with a mixture of dung and mould well decomposed, 
and planted cuttings of the male plant. The first year they pro- 
duced no seed or farina, nor was there any difference in the hops 
grown that vear ; the next year, although the male plants were 
not arrived to their full strength, they produced a considerable 
quantity of the farina, and when the burr came into hop a con- 
siderable difference appeared in those growing around and near 
the male plants and those at a greater distance from them, those 
hills that were near having the hops larger and more firm, closing 
at the tip, whilst those at a distance were as loose and hover as 
in the previous years; the next year, when the male plants had 
attained their maturity, there was but little difference observable 
between the hops on the hills near the male plant and those at 
the greatest distance from them, all the hops grown being larger 
and firmer, with a very few of those loose open hover hops which 
had before been grown generally on that ground, and for ten years 
after, the time I continued to hold the farm, I saw every year 
the same advantage by continuing the male plant. Why all the 
ground did not feel the same benefit on the first year from the 
farina of the male plant as those more near was, no doubt, from 
the male plant being young and not producing sufficient farina 
to benefit the whole, as ever after, when the male plant became 
as strong as the others or more so (as they generally are), there 
was no perceivable difference all over the ground, but all appeared 
to be benefited by them. I have continued to have ever since 
in all my hop-grounds, as I always had before, about eight or ten 
male-plant hills per acre, putting in that number whenever I 
raise a new plantation, and I recommend all young planters to 
do the same. Mr. Lance, in his ' Hop Farmer,' writes most 
decidedly in favour and gives a scientific description of them. 
Before planting the cut sets many planters dig out a hole 
around the stick where the hill is to be, about 10 or 11 inches 
square, and the same depth, taking out the soil and throwing it 
about the ground, having some good compost of dung and mould 
or rich mould ready prepared at hand to fill up the holes with, 
which should be trodden lightly in with the feet, and then a little 
fine soil put over it, taking care to put the stick down again at 
the same place it was taken from, which should be the centre of 
the hole. This plan of holing, as it is called, is very necessary 
on stiff land, where the ground ploughs up in whole furrow, and 
