230 
Hop Cultivation. 
Poling. 
In no part of hop farming has there been so much improve- 
ment and change as in poling, or providing supports for training 
the plants. Until a comparatively recent date, poles pitched 
into the ground in the spring and removed in the autumn were 
the only modes of supporting and training the plants. Now there 
are systems of wire fastened to permanent uprights, and methods 
of cocoa-nut fibre strings and wires combined, also fixed to 
permanent uprights. These will be explained later on. An 
extraordinary use is made of cocoa-nut fibre string tied to the 
tops of the ordinary poles, and carried from pole to pole across 
and down the rows of poles. The bines after reaching the tops 
of the poles make their way on to the strings, and are sometimes 
tied on to them by women on folding ladders, made specially 
for the purpose. Festoons are made by the bines from pole to 
pole, and the hops upon them are full of quality and strength, 
as they get all the air and sunshine available ; whereas, without 
these strings the bines are crowded together in a mass between 
the poles, so that sunshine and air are limited and the hops are 
poor and light. The adoption of this means of training the 
bines upon strings has largely increased the production of hops 
in this country. A clever instrument fixed to a long handle, 
termed a “ stringer,” has been devised by which a man can 
rapidly put the strings from one pole to another. 1 
Poles are used of sizes according to the variety of hop and 
the nature of the soil. Goldings take two or three 16 ft. poles in 
Mid Kent and parts of East Kent, but in some districts of East 
Kent 14 ft. and even 12 ft. poles are put to them. In Hants 
and Surrey, Goldings take poles from 14 ft. to 16 ft., and even 
18 ft. in some districts. In Worcestershire and Herefordshire 
14 ft. poles are used for Goldings. Grapes generally take poles 
of from 11 ft. to 14 ft., according to the locality. Jones take 
poles 10 ft. to 11 ft. long, and Colegates from 14 ft. to 16 ft. 
Sometimes Goldings have two poles to each hill in one row and 
three poles in the next row, and so on alternately. Two poles 
to each hill are generally sufficient for Goldings, especially 
where the swinging system is adopted. In poling it is essential 
to keep the poles wide apart at the tops, in order that the bines 
may not grow together in masses and obstruct air and light. 
This is most important, and it is curious to note that it is a 
point made by that close observer Reynolde Scot, who says in 
1 Cocoa-nut fibre strings arc also frequently tied about half-way up each 
pole, and carried on to the tops of the poles of the next hill, and vines are 
trained on them when the poles are furnished. 
