Hop Cultivation. 
53 
mostly strong clay soil. Another variety, Cooper's White, a 
good sort, but delicate, is best suited for good strong loam. 
There are besides several kinds of red hops that are not 
approved by the brewer, and, in my opinion, cannot too soon 
become extinct ; they are mostly grown on the poor lands of 
Herefordshire. Many other kinds are grown in Kent and 
Sussex, viz., Golden Tips, Pheasants, Golden Grapes, White 
Bines, Grapes, Jones's, &c., and a sort introduced some few years 
since by Mr. Colegate, and known by his name. This is a 
hardy variety and heavy cropper, but subject to blight, and 
repudiated by the brewer as a rank bad hop, yielding a most 
unpleasant flavour to the beer. A young planter should avoid 
this variety if he wishes to obtain a good character for his 
growth. 
We will now assume that a suitable field — one that has 
been thoroughly drained — has been selected, and the preference 
given to an old piece of turf : in that case I would recom- 
mend that the land be trenched two spits deep, the top spit 
being kept uppermost, with the turf downwards. When the 
digging is finished, the surface should be harrowed, and rolled 
down as fine and level as possible, ready for setting out. The 
planter must next determine on the arrangement of the rows, 
whether on the angle or the square, and the distance from 
plant to plant. The usual method in Worcestershire and Here- 
fordshire is to lay out the rows 7 or 8 feet apart, and set the 
plants 2£ to 3 feet distant in the rows. If your land be good, 
and likely to be highly farmed, an uniform distance of 7 feet 
square may be recommended ; good cultivation will ensure a 
large quantity of bine, and a sufficient quantity of sun to bring 
the fruit to perfection, whilst at this distance you have more 
room to cultivate without injuring the bines. 
If this plan is adopted, you must prepare 889 small sticks, a 
foot to 18 inches long, for every acre, that being- the number of 
hills which an acre will take at 7 feet square. First square your 
field, and then commence in the centre, working right and left ; 
you will thus be more likely to be correct than if you begin on 
one side. 
Your field being truly set out, you may prepare for planting ; 
if you plant bedded or yearling sets (which are far preferable to 
cuttings), a man should take a spade, and remove the soil from 
two sides of the stick, the opening being 2 inches wide at the top, 
and 4 to 5 inches at the bottom, which should be deep enough to 
let the roots lie straight. Two strong-bedded roots are sufficient 
for a hill, but if not strong, 3 may be better. Care should be taken 
to bring the head of each root as close to the stick as possible, some 
good fine soil should then be put to the roots, and made firm with 
