Management of Hops. 565 
acre, in the lower part of Kent and Sussex, and I once knew an 
instance of a ground of four acres in the parish of Cranbrook, 
Kent, growing two tons per acre of 1200 hills on two poles to a 
hill : it was in the great crop year of 1826. It is a wrong idea 
to think of increasing the crop generally by putting four poles to 
a hill, when it is often lessened by it. I have seen fiequent in- 
stances of it, particularly among Golding hops, in Mid-Kent. I 
was in two different grounds last year, both Golding hops, part of 
each being poled with three poles to a hill and part with two 
poles, and in both cases there were most hops grown per acre 
where there were onlij two poles to a hill. I do not state these 
cases to show that I consider two poles to a hill to be best gene- 
rally, but only in particular cases where there is a great quantity 
of bine grown and the hills near together, for I consider three 
poles to a hill the best adapted in every respect ; and on grounds 
and of sorts of hops where much bine is expected I would plant 
the hills at such distances as three poles to a hill would suit 
rather than have them closer and only two poles. But as we 
cannot always judge how a piece of a ground may turn out as to 
bine, if the hills should be planted close and the piece should 
turn out very productive of bine, so as to be too much with three 
poles, I would then put two, but in any case tie three bines to a 
pole. In almost all cases I should say four poles to a hill is too 
many, except where the distance is very great from hill to hill 
and the plant square, or where the stock has been drawn with 
large poles and likely to come weakly ; four small poles to a hill 
in that case would tend to strengthen the stock and probably 
produce more hops than if three poles and larger ones are put ; 
but this is an exception, for a good manager will take care not 
to injure his plantation by over-poling — he will be careful to 
adapt his poles to his plant, for he knows that it is not the 
number, but the size and length of the poles, that draws and 
strains his plant ; he is consequently careful not to over-pole, that 
is, to put larger poles than are necessary. I have been led into 
this digression from the subject of tying in endeavouring to give 
a reason for my preference in all cases of tying three bines to a 
pole. It is not, however, necessary for the hop-tiers to wait until 
there are three bines for every pole long enough to tie, that is, 
for the hills to furnish, as they term it ; but the tiers should 
begin as soon as some will reach the poles, tying up such, and 
go round again, keeping them tied up as they get long enough, 
and when every pole is furnished with three bines pull the re- 
mainder out of the hills, reserving two or three in case of an 
accident to any one of those tied up at the hill. The bine should 
be well tied to the pole at the bottom where it first reaches it, but 
they should not be tied very near the head, taking care that the 
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