232 
Hop Cultivation. 
annually. On the other hand, more tying is requisite, because 
the bines do not go up string and wire so well as up 
poles. 
One arrangement of wires and string is much adopted in East 
Kent. It consists of stout posts set at the end of every row of 
hop stocks, and fastened with stays to keep them in place. At 
certain intervals in each row a post of similar size is fixed. 
From post to post in the rows wires are stretched at a height of 
half a foot from the ground and at a height of six feet from the 
ground, and again from the tops of each post ; so that there are 
three lengths of wire in all. Upon these wires hooks are fastened 
or “ clipped ” at regular intervals, so that cocoanut fibre string 
can be threaded on to them horizontally from the lower to the 
next wire, and in a vertical direction from this wire to the top 
lateral wire of the next row. The string as threaded on the 
Fig. 3. — Arrangement of Wires and String. 
hooks is continuous, no knots are necessary, and it is put on the 
hooks of the top wires with a “ stringer.” The first cost of this 
is about 40/. per acre. 
Another method is known as Partridge’s patent (fig. 3), and 
prevails in Worcestershire and Herefordshire, whilst it is now ex- 
tensively made use of in Kent and Sussex. Stout posts are placed 
at the ends of each row of plants, and at intervals where requisite. 
Wires are fastened to the tops only of these posts, and cocoa-fibre 
strings are fastened by pegs to the ground close to each hop 
stock (fig. 3, a , a, a), and to the wires at the tops of the posts, 
at 5, b, b. This is more simple and less expensive than the first 
described system, costing from 24/. to 28/. per acre. In this 
case the plants require to be well “ lewed ”, as the wind blows 
the strings about, being so light. 
