548 
Manarjement of Hops. 
is a pfi'eat assistnnt to the growth of the set. Sometimes where 
the planter has no compost or fine vegetable mould to put in the 
holes they are filled up with fine soil from the surface which has 
been run with the frost and harrowed fine, treading it in gently 
as before, to have a firm hold of the set, leaving a little loose on 
the top to keep out the drought and prevent it from cracking. 
The sets uill take better this way than if planted in the stiff fur- 
row, hard as it is ploughed up with the exception of being made 
fine a little way down at top with the frosts and harrowing. 
But where a good tilth can be got by deep ploughing and sub- 
soiling, or is made by trenching, there is no necessity for holing, 
the expense of which may be saved, and the planting proceeded 
with more expeditiously ; and as manure put in the holes is to 
assist the growth of the sets as soon as they begin to strike root, 
so should the ground be manured at the time of ploughing or 
trenching, particularly if it is arable land. It will require more 
manure to go over the ground than to fill up the holes, but the 
roots will derive more benefit, for when they extend beyond the 
holes there is no manure to assist any farther ; but where the 
manure is all over the ground the roots of the j^lant will extend 
all over the ground the first year, and conserjuently derive much 
more advantage from the manure. Where the land is old mea- 
dow or pasture fresh broken up, although manure will do no 
harm, it does not absolutely require it ; and as much organic 
matter is contained in the sward and roots of the different grasses, 
lime spread on at the rate of 200 to 300 bushels per acre, and 
nidgeted in after the hops are planted or in the following autumn 
and dug in, will be of greater benefit in most cases to such land 
at first than dung ; but more of manures under that head. To 
proceed with planting : as I before said, five cut sets should be 
planted to make a hill, which should be put in with a dibber 
around the stick, leaning the tops together to form a compact 
head, sloping the bottoms of the sets a little out all around, 
tightening them by putting in the dibber again, pressing the 
earth up close to every set, laying a little fine earth and marking 
a small circle around the top to show where the sets are planted, 
putting the stick and leaving it in a slanting direction over them 
as a guide when nidgeting to keep the horse and nidget from in- 
juring or disturbing them. A man, when the sets are laid out 
five near each stick, will plant 600 hills per day; a boy will lay 
out for two men, therefore two men at 2^. per day each and one 
boy at Qd. per day will plant an acre of 1200 hills for 4s. 6o?. 
If bedded sets are to be planted it is then necessary to dig out 
holes, and larger than for cut sets, leaving a small conic mound 
of earth in the centre of each hole, on which put three bedded 
sets regularly around it, spreading the roots even and pressing 
