5G4 
Management of Hops. 
manure and cultivation to bear the attacks and grow away from 
the wire-worm. 
The Flea, a similar insect to that which attacks the young 
turnips directly they come up, and often destroys the crop, locally 
called the flea, fly, or turnip-beetle. — As soon as the young 
shoots of the hop-plant appear above ground this insect com- 
mences its attack upon them, eating the young leaves and heads, 
stopping the growth, and often quite destroying the young shoots ; 
it is most prevalent when the weather is dry and rather cold, with 
frosty nights and sunshiny days ; and when the ground lies a little 
rough and cloddy; they find a shelter. under the clods, and do 
more injury than when the ground is fine about the plant. It is 
a good j)lan to make the ground fine around the hills, and sift 
some dust on the top of them. In warm, dull, showery weather 
the young shoots are not so strongly attacked, and they grow 
faster out of the way of the flea ; and when the bine reaches the 
pole, although the insect follows them, perforating the leaves, 
it is not often that much injury is sustained ; but when they con- 
tinue their attacks on the young shoots from day to day, and, as 
they often do, from week to week, it is often a serious injury, 
keeping the bine back until too late for recovery ; and what docs 
get away is very unkindly, and being backward often becomes an 
easy prey to its worse enemy the hop-fly. When the young 
bine is thus strongly attacked by the flea, and the shoots become 
wiry and stunted, it is better to cut all off the stock, hill it up 
again, and leave them to make fresh shoots, which will come 
away more healthy, and, although backward, if they meet with no 
farther obstruction, may grow 2-3rds or 3-4ths of a crop. I have 
seen great benefit from catching the flea, which is difficult to do 
when the shoots first come up ; but when 6 or more inches long 
it is done more effectually than many would imagine with a com- 
mon tin funnel put into the nose of a common black wine-bottle, 
and with a small hair brush or goose-wing brush them into the 
funnel, which should be held close to the bine ; they will slip 
down the funnel into the bottle, where they cannot jump out; a 
great many will be caught, and others will jump away. This 
should be repeated daily, for even disturbing them does good. 
These insects remain in some way or other with the plant, as the 
leaves are seen perforated by them up the poles, and they are 
often found in the hop, doing considerable injury. 
The Hop Aphis. — No sooner has the young bine got away 
from the flea than it is attacked by a more formidable foe, the 
long-wing, or hop-fly, which generally make their appearance 
about the middle and latter end of May, about the time the bine 
is from 4 to 6 feet up the poles ; first, on the underside of the 
small leaves next the head of the bine. There is not a year but 
