Manaf/ement of IIo])s. 
549 
thorn close? to the mound of earlli, bringing the tops of the sots to 
a level with the surface ; then put on the prepared compost and 
some of the surface earth, treading it evenly and gently on the 
roots, covering all over with loose fine earth, marking it round, 
and sticking in the stick as directed for cut sets. The roots of 
bedded sets should only be trimmed and cut off whore too long 
to lay in the hole, for trimming them up short to within two or 
three inches of the set, as I have seen sometimes practised, is ^ 
taking away the little rootlets and fibres that more readily strike 
root and take in food for the plant. The cost of planting bedded 
sets is from Is. to Is. '2d. per 100 hills, digging out, planting, 
and filling up. After the ground is planted either with cut or 
bedded sets, as soon as it is dry and the weather permits, the land 
should be cultivated well and deeply with a nidget. The best 
and proper time to plant cut sets is as soon after the sets are cut 
off the old stock as can be, which will do some forward springs 
and on dry soils in February, but principally in March ; but if 
let alone until after the beginning of April, should the weather 
set in dry it is hazardous, as many of the sets may not strike root 
for want of moisture ; and although I have seen them occasionally 
succeed after the middle of April it is very wrong to delay doing 
it so long if it can possibly be avoided. 
Bedded sets are best removed in the autumn if the land is pro- 
pared and time and weather permit ; if not, as early in the spring 
as possible. 
If cut sets are planted the ground may be cropped between 
the rows of hills, such as one row of potatoes, one or two rows of 
mangold-wurtzel, carrots, or swede turnips, which will not prevent 
the ground from being cultivated during the summer, and will 
help to pay rent, taxes, and cultivation for the first year. But if 
bedded sets are put in, they will require small poles of six to eight 
feet long, and as I have said a few hops will be grown, the roots 
and fibres will be spreading over the ground towards the latter 
end of the summer, so that it will be wrong to attempt to grow 
any other crop between the rows of hop-hills; and it is well here 
to remark that it is wrong at any time or under any circum- 
stances to grow anything besides hops in a hop-ground, for when 
we look at the great quantity of bine and the great weight of 
dried hops grown, and the same year after year, either more or 
less, it must be evident that the ground has plenty to support 
without finding food for any other plant. 
After the ground is planted with cut sets and planted with 
potatoes or any other roots, as before mentioned, little more re- 
quires to be done during the summer of the tirst year than what 
is required for the root-crop grown there. In the course of three 
or four months, if the plant meet with no obstruction from any of 
