102 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ February 2, 188 
the tops, and train the subsequent growths 10 inches from the glass. Read our 
“ Work for the Week,” and if you need further instructions write to us again. 
March will probably be too soon for placing the plants in frames. There is no 
better Cucumber for your purpose than Telegraph. The work you name is not 
ready. 
Names of Plants (J. II.). — Cotoneaster baccillaris, a native of the 
Himalayas. (G. II .).—Both the specimens are much crushed, but they appear 
to be varieties of Selaginella Mertensii. (It. 0. /’.).—1, Jasminum nudiflorum; 
2, Begonia heracleifolia ; 3, Jasminum Sambac. 
CO VENT GARDEN MARKET—FEBRUARY 1. 
Business continues in a similar condition to last week. 
FRUIT. 
8. 
d. 
8. 
d. 
8. 
d. 
8. 
d 
Apples. 
£ sieve 
i 
0to4 
6 
Lemons. 
V- case 12 
f'tOlo 
0 
o 
() 
o 
0 
o 
0 
0 
0 
Cherries. 
lb. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Nectarines. 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Chestnuts. 
bushel 16 
0 
0 
0 
Oranges . 
& 100 
4 
0 
e 
0 
Currants, Black . 
£ sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Reaches . 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
„ Red.... 
£ sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Pears .kitchen .. 
dozen 
1 
0 
1 
6 
Figs. 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
dessert . 
dozen 
1 
0 
4 
0 
Filberts. 
V lb. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Pine Apples .... 
v tb 
1 
6 
2 
0 
Cobs. 
V ioo tb. 
75 
0 
0 
0 
Strawberries .... 
per tb. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Gooseberries .... 
4 sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Walnuts . 
bushel 
7 
0 
8 
0 
Grapes . 
V tb 
2 
0 
6 
0 
VEGETABLES. 
8 
d. 
s. 
d. 
8. 
d. 
8. 
d 
Artichokes. dozen 
Asparagus. bundle 
Beans,Kidney.... ^"100 
Beet, Red. dozen 
Broccoli. bundle 
Brussels Sprouts.. J sieve 
Cabbage. dozen 
Carrots. bunch 
Capsicums. 100 
Cauliflowers. dozen 
Celery . bundle 
Coleworts_doz. bunches 
Cucumbers. each 
Endive. dozen 
Fennel. bunch 
Garlic . ^ tb. 
Herbs. bunch 
Leeks. hunch 
2 0 to 4 0 
0 0 
0 0 
0 0 
0 0 
1 u 
0 3 
0 6 
0 i 
0 3 
0 8 
2 0 
0 0 
0 0 
0 0 
0 4 
Mushrooms 
Mustard* Cress . 
Onions. 
pickling. 
Parsley. doz 
Parsnips. 
Potatoes . 
Kidney. 
Radishes.... doz. 
Rhubarb. 
Salsafy. 
Scorzonera . 
Seakale . 
Shallots. 
Spinach . 
Tomatoes . 
Turnips. 
Vegetable Marrow 
punnet I 
punnet 0 
bushel 3 
quart 0 
bunches 
dozen 
bushel 
bushel 
bunches 
bundle 
bundle 
bundle 
basket 
V tb 
otoi 
bushel 3 
lb. 0 
bunch 0 
s each 0 
0 0 
0 3 
2 0 
0 0 
0 « 
1 0 
0 0 
0 0 
HOME FARM 
POULTRY AND PIGEON CHRONICLE. 
CULTIVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF HOPS. 
On some estates Hops form part of the growth 0 f crops, but 
they are difficult to manage ; and even under the best culture and 
the best means adopted both scientifically and practically by the 
most intelligent and experienced growers, the crops suffer in the 
most extraordinary manner from blight, mould, and from various 
parasites and insects. In fact the enemies to the plant, irrespec¬ 
tive of adverse weather, are or may be in certain seasons at work 
in injuring or destroying their growth from infancy until the 
latest period of growth. It is this uncertainty which deters 
numbers of persons in different districts from growing them, and, 
together with what is called the extraordinary tithe charges on 
new plantations, has a strong influence in preventing such an 
extended culture as would compete with foreign growers. 
We find that in 1861 when the duty ceased only 47,941 acres 
were in full plant in the United Kingdom, whereas the agricul¬ 
tural returns for Great Britain showed 66,562 acres in 1866, and 
64,273 acres for the year 1867. The abolition of the customs 
duties had the effect of stimulating the production of foreign 
Hops to a certain extent, and the enormous prices obtained for 
foreign Hops in 1860-61, on account of the almost entire failure 
of the English crop in the disastrous season of 1860, tended still 
more to encourage the foreign growers. The accidental circum¬ 
stances of a succession of small and indifferently grown crops in 
this country for the following seven years, taking the average, 
gave a general impetus to foreign Hop-growing, which eventually 
culminated in the extraordinary importation of 322,515 cwts. 
during the year 1869. This combination of causes has awakened 
the English growers to the real position of affairs ; and they 
have since been making vigorous efforts to improve their system 
of cultivation, which is now carried out with more intelligent 
supervision. 
The soils best adapted for the successful growth of Hops will 
first receive attention in these remarks. Although nearly the 
whole of the Hops grown in this kingdom are grown in the 
following counties—viz., Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire, Wor¬ 
cestershire, and Herefordshire, there are districts of the kingdom 
which possess a soil suitable for their growth ; some of these, how¬ 
ever, have an adverse climate and situation, which will be sub¬ 
sequently referred to. We may shortly state that deep rich dry 
soils with naturally porous subsoils are the best. All retentive 
subsoils, however, should be drained thoroughly at a depth of not 
less than 4 feet, and at a distance varying from 16 to 20 feet 
apart, with not less than 2-inch pipes, and if with gravel or stones 
laid next the pipes so much the better, as the roots of the Hop 
plants are not so likely to run into the tiles and block them by 
forming a mass of small fibrous roots. The land adapted for the 
growth of the best Hops, such as the Goldings and Canterburys, 
are deep dry loams, or deep soils of a mixed character as regards 
retentiveness, but resting upon subsoils naturally porous, such as 
the sandy loams on a subsoil of chalk, like the districts around 
Canterbury and Rochester, and various other districts where the 
chalk meets the hazel loam at a good depth, but where the chalk 
is found near the surface the plant will not flourish. The deep 
and stone subsoils of the greensand formation, or the ranges of 
ragstone hills and vales which run nearly through the county of 
Kent, are also found in some other counties where the so l is 
not so very deep, yet the Hops grown thereon are frequently of 
superior quality, being smaller, but not producing so great a 
weight per acre. The land in Kent, however, of deep soil, such 
as we have above mentioned, is peculiarly adapted for the growth 
of the finer varieties and the greatest weight per acre. 
The site and aspect of a Hop ground is of great importance, 
and a field slightly sloping to the north is to be preferred, being 
more screened from the south-west winds, which are the most 
prevailing during the summer months ; this position, too, has 
more hours of sunshine than a south one, and suffers less from 
the scorching midday sun. In many situations it is advisable to 
have woodland or plantations on the south-west side of the Hop 
field, especially on flat vale land where the wind has a long sweep 
from the south-west, for in these positions the Hop plant is 
more subject to blight and injury by aphides than higher and 
more exposed situations. It is also important to look to the state 
and cropping of the land previous to cultivation for Hop planting. 
It used to be a favourite method of planting Hops on breaking up 
old pasture land. Although such land is in most respects favour¬ 
able for their growth by the decaying of the old turf, yet it is 
found that numerous destructive insects are most injurious to the 
young Hop plant ; it is, therefore, a good plan to pare and burn 
the turf before any cultivation is attempted. This operation 
destroys the larvae of the insects of all kinds, but especially of 
the common wireworm, which are most injurious to young plants. 
It is only comparatively recently that the ravages of the wire- 
worm have been duly estimated and checked by traps of pieces 
of Potatoes, Turnips, or Rape cake laid on plant hills and regu¬ 
larly watched, and occasionally removed after the worms have 
eaten and secreted themselves in these substances. Before plant¬ 
ing the land with Hops we prefer after paring and burning to 
take a crop of Potatoes ; this not only prepares and cleans the 
land well and gives time for the grass turf to decay, but at the 
same time proves an excellent trap for the wireworms. We were 
troubled greatly with these worms in the various crops of the 
farm until we commenced Potato culture in 1840, after which we 
never suffered any injury by them, as they were removed by the 
crop of Potatoes in which they had secreted themselves. In all 
cases whether of old pasture, meadow, or cultivated arable land, 
a deep tilth is required, which can be obtained by either trench¬ 
ing with the fork or ploughing, the subsoiling implement follow¬ 
ing. The former plan, when well executed, is the best, but the 
latter is the cheapest and most expeditious. In trenching we bring 
the worst soil on the top, which oftentimes renders it necessary 
to give the land a dressing of lime, which is attended with con¬ 
siderable expenses in some districts ; still there are advocates for 
bringing the subsoil to the surface, who argue that as the Hop 
plant roots very deeply, it is placing the best earth for them to 
root in, and bringing the bad to the top to be made better by 
aeration and manuring. 
On the other hand, it may be argued that, although the roots of 
the Hop will go down very deep where they can get the oppor- 
