JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
122 
great extent. In selecting plants for setting it is the general 
practice to obtain sets not only for original planting, but also for 
filling vacancies which may occur, from a distance, from some 
planter who has a good growth and a reputation for being careful 
in selecting and managing his sets. A change of sets is con¬ 
sidered as desirable as a change of seed in the case of cereal crops 
like Wheat, Barley, and Oats. 
There have been several new and improved varieties of Hops 
introduced within the past few years, raised from seed, and 
also from cuttings ; in the former instance by mere accident or 
chance, in the latter case by a careful process of methodical selec¬ 
tion, which is that usually guiding a person who systematically 
endeavours to modify or alter a variety according to some pre¬ 
determined standard. But the usual principle is as Dr. Carpenter, 
who is a great authority in such matters, says in his “ Principles 
of Physiology,” page 085—“ That propagation by seeds will only 
produce the species, the race not being continued with any cer¬ 
tainty.” The tendency is to revert to the original type. Seeds 
taken from the same Hop plant will, it is well known, produce 
different varieties, with a tendency to degenerate to the wild 
hedge Hop. This inherent tendency to reversion is augmented 
by the uncertainties of fertilisation peculiar to dioecious plants, 
and the prepotency of the pollen of the original type over that 
of all others. Few planters, however, allow male Hop plants in 
their grounds, trusting that the pollen, for mere purposes of 
fructification, will come from somewhere ; still it is clear that 
artificial fertilisation must be resorted to systematically if it is 
wished to obtain true and satisfactory sorts from seed. Some 
very valuable sorts have been obtained by cuttings taken from 
solitary plants, which have been observed to differ from their 
congeners in certain characteristics. These specialities are further 
continued by a careful methodical selection of plants in which 
the desired qualities are most prominently displayed. 
A very good sort of early Golding has been obtained in Kent, 
which is not only ready for picking a fortnight or three weeks 
before other Hops but is also of fine quality, much liked by the 
brewers. It is a very great thing to obtain such a variety of Hop 
of first-rate Golding character which arrives at maturity early, in 
order that the English grower may be able to supply the market 
before foreign Hops make their appearance, and to ensure good 
colour before the winds, the hot sun, and the heavy night fogs of 
late autumn have discoloured the delicate light golden hue so 
much sought for by the pale ale brewers. To obtain this much- 
desired colour it has been the common practice to pick Hops too 
soon, which tends to injure the stock of the plant, especially in 
the case of the Golding Hop—more delicate by nature than other 
kinds—to lessen its productiveness and to cause its premature 
decay. These combined causes are inducing growers to reorganise 
their plantations upon a new system by grubbing up the old 
grounds, many of which are practically useless from old age, the 
exhaustion of the productive elements of the soil, and unnaturally 
early picking ; also by introducing a well-arranged succession of 
earlier sorts to follow each other in regular rotation. This is 
especially the case by the growers of Hops in the Hereford Hop 
districts, who are generally improving their plantations by grow¬ 
ing early sorts of better quality. 
The general mode of planting is a great improvement in every 
respect upon that of former times, for the custom of cramming as 
many plants as possible into an acre is discontinued, It is now 
thought desirable that there should be at least 6 feet 6 inches 
between each hill, which would give about 1030 hills to the acre 
if planted on the square, and about 1200 if planted triangularly. 
A thousand hills are quite enough for an acre, for quite as large 
crops are grown with such a plant as from one of 1200 or 1400 
hills. It is obvious in the adoption of the system of the lesser 
number of hills that there is at once a great saving of labour and 
of expense for poles, and, what is of more importance still, the 
sun and air can permeate more freely through the alleys. Two 
good sets which have been one year in a nursery are usually put 
to form a hill; even one very good set occasionally suffices, and it 
has been observed that the fewer the sets the better the stock or 
centre hereafter, and not so liable to decay in part, especially as 
regards Goldings. Very great care and pains are now taken with 
the sets to keep varieties distinct, to select the truest and strongest, 
to have their nursery well manured and cultivated. It is con¬ 
sidered wrong to propagate plants from the same stocks perpetu¬ 
ally. Great delicacy of constitution and diminished fertility are 
known results of this practice. 
The general mode of setting out and planting is extremely im¬ 
portant for various reasons, whether the planter has prepared his 
land by ploughing or digging and has determined upon the sort 
he intends to plant. He should also make up his mind as to 
distance between the hills. This is most accurately done at first 
[ February 9, 1882. 
with a chain. The better plan is to set out with two land¬ 
measuring chains and mark out nine or ten hills, putting down 
sticks, which may be termed station sticks, all over the ground at 
that distance ; and then with a line marked with feathers or some¬ 
thing equally conspicuous, at the distance the hills are intended 
to stand, and of a length equal to two stations, eighteen or twenty 
hills as the case may be. Proceed to set out the hills all over the 
field, keeping the line sufficiently tight to reach exactly the length 
of two stations, putting down a stick to every mark on the line, 
setting it out in rows of two stations distance first, and then 
stretch the line across between the sticks in the rows, putting 
down a stick in every mark as before, which will finish as pro¬ 
ceeded with. This method will set them out correctly if care be 
taken with the chains, for as the chains will not err neither can 
the line err when made to reach the station sticks set out with 
the chains. Small sticks or reed cut about 1£ foot long are 
required. A man with an assistant and two boys or women will 
set out 3 acres per day. We have been rather particular stating 
the details of setting out, because it is important to have the hills 
at the distance intended to facilitate interculture, &c. 
(To be continued.) 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
ITorse Labour. —This has now been resumed since the usual delay 
consequent upon the winter months, and it is gratifying to know 
that the horse labour on the home farm is in a forward state wher¬ 
ever they have been judiciously employed. The weather having 
been moderately dry has enabled manure to be drawn out upon land 
intended for Potatoes and Mangolds. We prefer using artificial 
manures for Potatoes, and after a long experience find that it not 
only saves time to use guano, but also it is more favourable to the 
produce. With regard to Mangolds, if dung can be laid out early 
enough so as not to delay the seedtime, we can recommend it; but 
at all events drilling artificial manures should be done at seedtime 
in addition to the dung. By all possible means let the sowing now 
of all crops in succession be attended to immediately the land is in 
a condition for working, as ^ may become too wet or too dry. The 
old Scotch saying should be kept in memory, “ Time lost is ne’er to 
be found.” When the weather is favourable parties having the use 
of steam power on the farm, or those who have not should hire it in 
order that the seedtime may proceed with the tillage and preparation 
for root crops. It is bad policy, and a total disregard of commercial 
principles, that one kind of farm work should be allowed to interfere 
with, or delay any other which is dependant upon favourable weather. 
Acting upon this system the steam power ought never to delay horse 
labour, nor vice versa. If the weather is fine not a day’s delay should 
be permitted, and if the power on the farm for tillage is not equal to 
the requirements, agriculture must be a failure more or less. We have 
known seasons when the month of March has been dry, that all the 
work not done in that month could not be done in April, the seedtime 
being lost from a heavy and continuous rainfall during the latter 
month. Nothing can show more forcibly than this the advantage of 
the supplement power of steam in farming practice. 
The weather has on the whole permitted the threshing of corn and 
the delivery of it lately, and this must be considered work that should 
be cleared up previous to the commencement of the busy season of 
ploughing and sowing Oats, Barley, <fcc., but all the pulse crops such 
as Beans, Peas, and Vetches should now be completed. In order that 
the work may be done safely as regards the weather, the land should 
be ploughed, pressed, and drilled simultaneously, so that no land that 
is ploughed should be left unsown, as -we never can calculate upon 
the weather in our climate ; it should therefore never be trusted, but 
the work must be finished daily. On some of the dry soils Barley 
may now be sown if the land is clean, for we advise sowing this grain 
early in preference to Oats, especially of the early white varieties, 
such as the Canadian or Swiss, like the Potato or Poland Oat. 
These when sown too early frequently get a check in their growth 
which seriously diminishes the produce both of straw and grain ; in 
fact the yield is quite in proportion to the vigour of the straw. The 
Black Tartarian Oats, however, may be sown early if the land is in 
good condition, as they are more hardy, and will recover from a check; 
but in all cases where these are grown for home consumption we 
prefer to mix Barley with them. We must here remark that upon 
land in general Barley if sown after roots fed with cake is frequently 
too gross in the straw and becomes laid and lodged, this is sure to 
reduce the grain to a thin sample. This, however, should be counter¬ 
acted by drilling half a bushel less seed per acre at 10 or 12 inches 
apart between the lines, which will oftentimes result in producing a 
malting sample. 
Hand Labour .—The home farmer should now prepare the seed beds 
for different kinds of seeds, such as the Champion Cattle Cabbage, 
Drumhead Savoy, large sort, also the best sorts of Cabbage, such as 
the Imperial, Enfield Market, &c.; the large Mammoth Cauliflower, 
and early and late Broccoli. We noticed large Cauliflowers in Novem¬ 
ber and December last which measured 15 inches across the head, 
being in first-rate condition and not the least show of seed stems ; 
they weighed 10 lbs. and upwards, and sold as high as lid. each, 
grown in the open field. Vegetable crops are likely to pay the home 
farmer this year, for we find that if the treaty with France is not 
