1665.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
73 
rtiiirked by a stake at planting, to enable one to clis- 
linquisli them at a glance. The sets should be cut to 
two pairs of eyes eacli, (if very short jointed, three pairs 
of eves may be left.) and three to five of these should be 
put in a iiill, according to the condition they are in. 
Thev are usually planted in a furrow made by a plow, 
whicli must be from 2 to 4 inches deep, according as 
tlie soil is light or heavy. If planted too deep, they will 
not come up well. Sets are usually sold by the bushel; 
2 to 3 bushels for an acre. When yards are planted with 
good, fresh sets, ant it is done early, there is very little 
risk of failure. Often large yards are planted without 
losing a single hill. When the ground is very mellow, 
■W'ith but few stones, dibble the lioles just deep enough to 
let the sets be under the ground, and 3 or 4 inches apart; 
press the soil around them, and mark the place with astick. 
Cultivation the First Year.— The cultivation con¬ 
sists in keeping the weeds down, and the ground mel¬ 
low. One day’s work in season, is better than two later. 
If good sets are used, and they are planted very early, 
it will pay to raise a crop the first year, and the plants 
will be the better for it. Set one stake to each hill, and 
let all the vines run upon it. The stake sliould bebut 8 feet 
long, and set 1 foot in the ground; if longer than tliat, 
the vines will not get to the top in season to “ hop ” well. 
It is best to stake the plants, because then they are out 
of the w.ay in cultivating the yard, and do not get torn 
off. We raise from 200 to 400 pounds to the acre the first 
year, at no cost, except picking and drying, besides the 
eullivation, whicli must be done if even none are raised. 
The stakes may be pieces of old hop poles, or better, IK 
inch square sawed stuff, 8 feet long (there is one foot 
lioard measure in each stake). It pays well to get gas 
tar, which costs but $1 or $2 per barrel. Heat it in a 
pan made for the purpose, and dip tlie whole stake into 
it vviiile it is hot. This makes a firm coat of paint on the 
stake, protects it from the weather, and at the same 
time is very offensive to insects, and plant lice ^gjl not 
lay tlieir eggs on it in the fall. In the autumn of 
tlie first year, a covering of two forkfuls of coarse 
manure sliould be given tlie hills, and if there is any 
chance of water standing on the surface, furrows must 
be plowe l for surface drains, for it will kill the hills it 
covers. Cattle sliould never be pastured in hop yards 
ill the fall, especially not in young yards. There should 
be no grass for them to eat, though there too often is. 
Training. —Throughout tlie hop region of New-York, 
young trees have been cut, for many years, for use as 
hop poles. Tliis has gone on until the price has risen 
from 2 or 3 cents to 20 or 30 cents each, and large quan¬ 
tities are brought from Canada and the wilderness of 
Northern New-York, by canal and rail, and then drawn 
with teams to tlie yards, frequently from 10 to 25 miles. 
Hardwood poles last from 2 to 5 years, the best cedar 
poles but 10, and many poles break dowm with their load, 
jr are broken down by the wind every year, which 
causes a total loss of the hops on them, and frequently 
on one or two adjoining poles. The common method 
Allows two poles, 18 to 30 feet long, to each hill. Being 
so long, the wind whips them, breaking off many of the 
arms, so tliat often a considerable part of the crop is 
•lesti oyed in this way. Wlien the crop grown upon the 
poles is picked, many hills are killed, and all are injured 
by bleeding of the vines, which must be cut off. 
Horizontal Hop Yard.— There is a new method in 
vogue in this State, which has been used in Otsego Co. 
to some extent for three years past, and the last year it 
w'as used all through this, and in some other States, 
viz., “ Collins’ Horizontal Hop Yard.” It was describ¬ 
ed in the American Agriculturist for May, 1864, and 
is illustrated in the opposite column. I shall confine 
my directions for raising hops mostly to this plan, as 
I consider it as far superior to the common plan, with 
long poles, as the Mower and Horse-Rake are to the 
haying implements used by the Last generation. There 
is but one stake to the hill, and this is 8 or 9 feet long, 
and set 1 foot in tlie ground. The best and cheapest 
stakes are IK-inch square sticks, sawed at any saw-mill, 
left rough, and entirely coated with coal tar. Where 
this plan is introduced into old yards, old poles, cut in 
two are used ; yet it is far better to use the square stuff 
above described, than to cut down a tree for each stake. 
The outer row of stakes should be 8 or 10 feet outside 
of the outer row of vines, and where next a fenee, put 
them on the line of it. These should be 2K inches square, 
or if round, about as large as a common hop-pole, and set 
a little deeper than the others. For the inside hills, 
round stakes, an inch through, are as good as larger ones. 
The tops of all the stakes are connected by a twine 
running across the yard both ways—it is tied to the outer 
stakes only, and wound once around the inner ones. 
TJse good twine—wool or broom twine, made out of 
hemp or linen. At the present price of twine it is best to 
raise the flax and spin it; two or three threads making a 
small twine that will measure about 700 feet to the 
pound ; this is strong enough, and lighter is often used, 
and if tarred with good pine tar it wilt last several years. 
Tarred hemp twine at present costs 25 to 27 cents per 
pound at wholesale in New York, and from 35 to 40 cents 
through the country. A kind should be used that will not 
weigh more than 25 pounds per acre ; but I like best a 
good home-made twine at about 15 pounds per acre. The 
cost for twine is at present from 6 to 10 dollars for 
an acre, but four years ago it cost only 3 or 4 dollars. 
At the male hills, put one tall pole about 18 feet long, so 
that the m;ile vines will run up it, and the wind can blow 
the pollen over the yard. The string should pass these 
poles free, so that the wind will not break the twdne. 
The cost of preparing a yard in this manner is as follows : 
750 feet lumber for stakes, at $15®$20 ; gas tarring stakes 
$2 ; 25 pounds twine, at 30 cents, $7 50 ; setting stakes $1 ; 
putting on twine 50 cents ; right per acre $10. Total cost 
after setting vines $36. Cost of yard with long poles, 
1,400 poles, 20 cts. each, $280 ; sharpening $10 ; setting $7. 
Total cost, not counting hauling—after setting vines, $297. 
Second Year.— In spring the yard, as soon as v.”y 
enough to work, must be grubbed, Hoe the dirt fn.m tne 
hill without injuring the crown of the root. Wit*' „ knife, 
cut off all tlie old vines smooth, and any runrie; s 'hat are 
seen. Never tear them off nor cut them vv ith the hoe. 
At the same time examine whether there are any grubs 
in the hill, and kill all found. There are two kinds of 
grub, one which makes a beetle, witb a dark hard head, 
and wliite body, with legs all on the forepart of the body. 
It is always found doubled up like a horse shoe. The 
other is a cateroillar which makes a butterfly. Both must 
be killed wlierever found. Leave the hill nearly bare. 
If the stakes are in the yard they must now be set, but if 
not, it is best to plow first. In setting, use a common 
light crowbar, and set about a foot deep, rather deeper 
for outside hills, and nearly twice as deep for the long 
pole at the male hill. Then plow out the yard, and after 
plowing take out the runners or sets. These .are only 
found in a yard after the second year, and if well saved, 
are worth from 50 cts. to one dollar and a half per bushel. 
Break them as little as possible, and do not let them lie 
long in the sunshine, nor be frozen while out of the 
ground. In setting the stakes, all the holes should be on 
the same side of the hill, so that in plowing you can tell 
how to guide the horse that he may not step on the crown. 
After taking out the sets, hoe the dirt back upon the hills 
so that the ground will be nearly level, and put on the 
twine. When the stakes are but seven feet liigli, a man 
can easily put it on from the ground, but a boy or girl 
can do it with alight stool. The twine is carried in a 
basket slung over the shoulder out of the way. Never 
tie the twine except at the end stakes, and only wind once 
around the others, passing at the tall polls at the male 
hills. Have all stakes the same length. When the vines 
get up two or three feet high, they must be tied. Tie four 
to each stake except in the outer row of liills where five 
or six may be tied, so as to fill the strings to tiie outer row 
of stakes. Put the vines around the stake the way the sun 
goes, or they will not run, and tie w ith soft bass malting 
or old woolen yarn. 
Cultivate often, for it will save a great deal of hoeing. 
The five-toothed cultivator is best, but when the yard 
gets grassy, the plow is the only thing that will do the 
work; never let the weeds get the upper hand. The 
vines will need tieing up as often as any leave the pole, 
but it must never be done on a cold day, nor early in the 
morning, as then they will break, and whenever one has 
its head broken off, it must, if not up to the strings, be 
taken down, and another vine from the ground be put in 
its place. When the smallest vines have got a good 
start, three feet or more, bury the refuse vines at tlie foot 
of the stake with two inches of dirt, and never pull or cut 
them off, as is usually done. In a few days the leaves 
will rot, making manure, and the vines will make cheap¬ 
er food for the grubs than those running up the stake. 
These vines throw out small roots, and help to make the 
crop for the year; besides they are the best kind of sets 
for a new yard the next year. Mix air-slacked lime and 
unleached ashes, and put on about a pint to each hill; this 
will help to keep away grubs, and serve fls tnanure, 
When the tallest vines are up two feet above Ihe tops 
of the slakes, go ilirougli the yard and lay them on the 
strings, winding them loosely once or twice anmn.t. 
Put tlie vines on tiie strings, while they are growing 
very fast, about twice a week, or when they are ivmi or 
three feet long, letting them hang clown six inches. When 
the vine li,as passed the first space, let it run past the 
stake, on to the string having fewest vines on it, and 
wiien it gets to the middle of the second string, let it lon g 
down like an arm. Sometimes I have seen vines slopoo ' 
when at the second stake, but 1 do not like the way so 
well as to let them run furtlicr. 
Never put the arms upon the sti ings, but let llicm hang 
down or wind into each other; tliey will not break l.y 
hanging, and will be more exposed to sunshine and air. 
When they are so long as to brush the ground, lay them 
up on others, winding once around, and they will stay. 
If the vines have been so planted that the male vines 
cannot be told, let tliem run up on the strings, but mark 
them in the fall, so as to put in a tall pole, for, if grown 
in this way, the pollen will be better distributed. 
Picking. —The hop is ripe, w hen on opening it the seed 
is hard, and of a purple color. After that, they turn 
brown, and the seeds drop out, and there is a great loss 
both in quality and weight. Of course, in a large yard, 
all tlie hops cannot be picked at exactly the right lime. 
If tiie yard is a large one, the hops will be ripe sooner in 
some parts of it than in otliers, and should be picked first, 
and indeed some must be picked rather too early, in order 
that none may be left much too long. Commence when 
the seed begins to get hard, and but few are yet purple. 
In horizontal yards tliis is about a week earlier than 
where long poles are used, and as there is no cutting off 
vines, they do not bleed as in the old way. 
At first do not hurry up the picking too fast, as while 
the hops are rather green the kilns must not be filled more 
than ten or twelve inches deep, 
and it takes longer to dry them 
than those that are riper. A fter a 
few days, when the hops arc fully 
ripe, it is best to get one-lialf more 
pickers than at first, as on a good 
kiln the hops can he dried from 
sixteen to twenty-four indies 
deep, and two kiins-fuU can be 
dried in a day. 
Those conditions of the air which 
produce rust in wheat, seem to 
liave the same effect on bops. 
It sometimes comes on very soon 
after a warm shower. High land 
is most free from rust ; tlie worst 
place is a deep narrow valley near 
a stream, and sheltered by woods. 
Hops can be picked from tlie strings, either in tlie com¬ 
mon way with boxes and box-tenders, or by girls with 
baskets without help. I like the latter way best, as it 
saves three-fourths of tlie time usually spent in tending 
box, and Ihe hops are picked cleaner and faster, I w ill de¬ 
scribe both ways ; First, with light willow baskets w liicli 
will hold three or four bushels, commence at tlie ripC'-t 
part of the yard, loosen the strings from the stakes, and let 
them drop until held by tlie vines ; they will then be about 
five feet high, and can be pulled lower as wanted, A 
large girl, or a man, can take the strings off the stake.s. 
Pick clean ; put the fingers tlirough between tlie hops in 
the bunch, instead of around it and stripping, as is often 
done. Put in all the hops, but none of tlie large leaves, 
and as few of the small ones as possible. Often there is 
no care t.aken to keep out small leaves, but for a prime 
article very few should go in, and no bunches of more 
than three hops should ever be allowed in Ihe basket 
The owner, or some very careful man, shotild empty 
the baskets into sacks as they are filled, and see that ail 
are picked well. Where any are found with bunches of 
hops, or any large leaves, the picker should sort them, 
and pick them all out. For this the most careful man is 
required, and every careless girl in the yard will abuse 
him as much as she can. Good pickers will gather 25 to 
30 bushels per day well, but wages should be based on 
about 15 bushels for a day’s work, as many girls will not 
pick more than that. 
Sacks for carrying the hops to Ihe kiln should hold 
about ten or twelve busliels without packing, as the Imps, 
if pressed in, will soon heat and turn black. The bags 
must never be left full of hops over night. Burlaps make 
good cheap sacks, and once m.ade they last for man- 
years. The vines are left on the strings so as to maiuie 
the root for another crop, until they are killed by the frost: 
then it is best to lake them down, strip them off tlie 
strings, and burn them. In tliis w ay the eggs of the plant 
lice are mostly destroyed. Where the picking is done 
with boxes, these are made of various sizes—16,872 cubic 
inches is the size required by a bill proposed in the last 
Legislature of New York, but the bill did not pass. The 
boxes, usually holding frona seyen to ten bushels, ar* 
Fig. 1.— HORIZONTAL HOP YARD. 
