550 
Management of Hops. 
its numerous enemies (a short description of each I shall give in 
its proper place), it will be throwing out young bine, which will 
be running and spreading over the ground, so that it will be 
necessary to tie it up in a bunch or around the stick to keep it 
from being cut or torn when cultivating the ground by the hand- 
hoe or nidget, for the land should be kept in a good state of cul- 
tivation and free from weeds throughout the summer. In the 
autumn of the year, when the sap is down and the young bines 
are become scar, they may be cut off, and a little mound of earth, 
about the size of the crown of a man's hat, put on the hill to 
keep the wet from the stock, taking care to have it levelled down 
before the plant shoots in the spring. Some leave the bine on, 
and the hill remains as it is until after the ground is dug, and 
then cut off the scar bine and dress them as they do the older 
plant ; but I prefer the former plan, and to pole them very early 
in the spring and dig all the ground directly it is poled, for in 
digging them before poling (I mean the young planted ground) 
frequently a hill is inadvertently or carelessly dug up, but when 
poled the poles act as a guard to the hill. For poling the first 
year after planting with cut sets rather larger poles are required 
than are wanted for bedded sets the year they are planted ; but 
old refuse small poles from eight to ten feet long are generally 
sufficient ; and as when they are so poled the proceedings gene- 
rally will be the same as with older hops, I will therefore now 
describe the annual cultivation of hops, beginning with the first 
process in the spring, which is 
Digging the Ground. 
Digging is done with a strong three-forked tool, called a hop- 
spud, which forks are made broad and flat, or more square, 
according to the soil to be dug. On stiff soils, where the ground 
hangs together and the spit is necessarily turned over, the flatter 
and broader forks or speens are best ; but on stony and rocky 
soils, where there is more difficulty in getting the spud in and 
more strength is required, the square speens are the best : such 
ground, breaking up deeper than the spud goes, is poked over by 
the tips of the spud ; at the same time the upper part is turned 
on the top of it. An adept will proceed in this way with more 
ease and dig it deeper than when he is obliged to lift and turn 
all the ground. Care should be taken that the ground be all 
moved ; the manure and weeds, if any (as there often is after a 
mild autumn or winter), should be well buried; and as it may 
be made to appear well to the eye when not well done, it 
requires a master's or bailiff's strict attention where many diggers 
are employed. The next process as soon as the ground is dry 
and weather permits is 
