HOPS. 117 
times during the summer,, to mould the plants and 
clean away weeds. 
Poles, Poling, Tying , Kc. Two. poles are used to 
each stock, two thousand to an acre ; they cost 8s. 
per hundred, and about two hundred upon an acre 
annually, or one-tenth of the whole, are reckoned 
to wear out; they are tied.to the poles with rushes, 
at 4s. per acre. The ordinary cultivation, including 
plough and hand-work, is done at about 16s. per 
acre, and may be let to be done at that price. 
The Distempers , to which hops are subject, are 
blight and mildew; for the prevention, or cure, of 
which, no remedy is known ; they are supposed en¬ 
tirely dependent on the seasons, as a crop is very 
precarious, and subject to changes so sudden,, as to 
baffle all human care, or foresight. In the month of 
July, a sudden blight has been often known to raise 
the price of the stock in hand in a few days, some¬ 
times to double their former value; and the dealer, 
who has before been pushing off the article, in ex¬ 
pectation of the price lowering, has, on a sudden, 
locked up his warehouse, and refused to supply his 
customers. 
Picking. This is done by women and children from 
the neighbouring populous counties, or from Wales, 
principally in September. Women hop-pullers have 
8d. per day and breakfast, or 9d. without, and three 
pints of beer, or cyder, each per day j eight pluckers 
to a crib in three days pull an acre; expense, 18s. to 
24s. (Mr. Crane) ; but this depends upon the bulk 
of the crop in some measure; the operations of drying 
and sacking are well described by Mr. Pomeroy.— 
See his Account. 
The Expense attending the hop culture is pretty- 
considerable. 
