THE PRINCIPLES OF BOTANY. 
405 
to be injured by mould than the grapes. The colour of the 
bine is pale green, like the grape, but larger. 
“ Sixthly, the Flemish Reel Bines, which grow on light 
siliceous soils; they very frequently escape the aphis or 
block-blight, hence they are commonly known by the name of 
e Never-blocks.’ They produce a poor, thin hop, and ex¬ 
cepting from their favorable tendency to escape the aphis- 
blight, they can in no wise be recommended.” 
Now, with so many different sorts apparently adapted to 
such variable conditions, it is curious to note the few counties 
in which hop cultivation prevails, and still more so to con¬ 
sider the wide difference in their qualities at each distinctive 
district. Thus, the hops of Worcester and Hereford are as 
widely distinct from those of Kent as these are again from 
those of Surrey and Hants. 
In the work before quoted it is stated that “ speaking of 
the hop-growing districts in grand divisions, they thus rank : 
—1. Farnham; 2. East Kent; S. Mid-Kent, West Kent, 
and the Hill grounds; 4. Weald of Kent and Sussex; 
5. Worcester.” 
The geological formations forming the subsoils in the hop 
districts may be stated as follows. The best parts of the 
Cretaceous deposits, including the green sand, afford ground 
for the “hop gardens” in the three first divisions. The 
Wealden formation that of the fourth. In the fifth division 
the Worcester “ hop yards ” are situate on the New Red 
Sandstone, while the extension of hop growth into Hereford¬ 
shire occurs in the Old Red Sandstone; and within the last 
few years the Worcester hop districts has extended into 
Gloucestershire, and here the subsoil is Lower Lias 
Shales. 
There can be no doubt that the cultivation of hops is much 
confined to a certain composition of soil, for, as will be shown 
from analyses, that potash, magnesia, and phosphates are 
found to abound in the ashes of the hop plant, and these 
form a large per-centage of the best hop lands. The 
following calculation from Professor Way’s analysis shows 
the— 
