560 
Managevient of Hups. 
year^ inasmuch as where the bine was earthed the preceding year, 
after they are cut they do not shoot out and come so forward, but 
are more productive in hop, and branch down more than those 
that were not earthed, and come forwarder ; for as they have no- 
thing but scar bine to cut off, they are not kept back as those that 
are earthed are; therefore, if it is the wish of the planter to 
strengthen the stock, he should not earth them ; if it is wished to 
grow as many hops as he can next year, then earth them. Earth- 
ing is done from the 8th or 10th to the latter end of June, and 
sometimes in July, but should be done soon after the hills are 
cleared; the cost is 3rf. per 100 hills. After earthing but little 
requires to lie done but to continue nidgeting when the weather 
permits and it is required, except to keep weeds hoed up that 
may come around the hills, or at other places where the nidget 
does not take them. If from wet, followed by dry weather, the 
ground should be bound down around the hills where the nidget 
does not take it, then it is a good plan to loosen the ground up 
with a spud, but not so deep as digging — not to turn it over, 
pulling the spud up through, letting the earth fall loosely between 
the spud-spens, breaking it and leaving it fine and level; this will 
cost Ad. or bd. per 100 hills. After the bines are grown out of 
the reach of the tiers, and before they get to the top of the poles, 
they will often, from wind or other causes, get their heads so far 
away from the poles as not to regain them without assistance ; they 
then require ladder-tying, which is done sometimes by men, but 
generally by women, with a kind of double ladder called a 
hop-ladder, the back one having only 2 or 3 staves to keep it 
together, the top staff going through the top ends of both to keep 
the two together, so as to allow the bottom to open to a distance 
to stand firm without holding, for a person to go up it when 
placed near the hill to tie up the head that hangs away from the 
pole, it standing in this form tbe cost of which will average 
about \s. per acre. 
Having gone through all the items of labour up to picking, 
among which I should have enumerated putting up poles that are 
blown down with the wind, or that are from any other cause lying 
on the ground, which, after very high winds, and particularly 
when laden with bine and hop, will be considerable, it is the 
practice of many planters at the latter end of the summer to tie 
them up to the other poles ; but the best plan (except in hop- 
picking, when the hops are ripe and they are just going to be 
picked) is to pitch a hole, sharpen the pole afresh with a handbill, 
and stand it in the ground ; it gives the hops a better chance of. 
growing out and ripening. As this is a casualty, it depends 
much on circumstances what the cost may be ; I should say bs. 
per acre, taking the average of years. 
