Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1868-04-10
Hop Culture No. 8.
Sized rusrLow


cultivation Of the bop; this can be done TO
good advantage by having large portion
Of vegetable matter in the soil; this )
non .eonducsor OF beat. and holds the mos
turc which IT naturally attracts; the soil. as
before remarked must be broken up deeply,
and slway, kept we'll and deeply pulverized
that the lower cots OF the hop may sustain
the moisture of tue plant in drought. The
location OF the hop field shonld be somewhat
exposed To winds and sun, in order to cs
cape that cnrmv oil the hop. the mould; lo~.
damp locations. avoided; also free from
heavy winds. thoss that attend The storms
Of Rot We. Their. A south eastern slope. or
location protected BY high lands. or woods.
should be selected. In moist lands the
hill cultivation should be adopted. tina, is.
the slips should be planted in raised hills.
in dry .loamy soils. level cultivation. tha, is.
hills not raised. Cniormcn,ed barn-yard
manure should not be put into The ball. The
roots or slips. two for each hill. should be
put into the hill. in an UPRIGHT posiiion.rh
butt OF the roo, or slip. downward in order
tha, the eyes OF the root or slip may be IN
their natural position, that is, turned up.
ward Both slips or roots should be pui
in the same hole. aud good rich fine monld
should be put over and around them. TO
the depth OF about two inches. Corn, 20
ta,ocs, or beans, are usually planted in the
hop field the year Of planting, bu, not in
the hop Hill. Ths hop does not require
poles The year of planting The year fol
lowing. each hill should have two poles set
each side Of the plant. sbou, eish inches
apart at the hill. sufficiently diversing. that
the tops OF the poles may be IRON two 20
three feet apart. the poles TO Toe from Ia TO
20 feet long. according to the condition OF
The soil; the strongest poles should be So.
lecicd for the outside OF the field, and that
most exposed TO heavy winds. There should
be planted one hill OF male TO so Or 100
hills OF female plants Due care should Ge
exercised in tins particular. BY planting
the roots in al upright position two advan.
tages are gained over the old wa; of plant.
ing, that Is. laying the roots in the hill
horizontally about one loot apart This is
not the natural position CT the hop root the
uprigh, position with the butt end down
ward is the n tural position OF the hop root
hence the root readily finds lis waydccp into
the soil and the vine takes its upward ten
dency. The upright pos ition affords two
fold advantage as regards wet and dry sea
sons OF planting. In dry seasons. the low
ar,I be- in IL
ipre and give life and growth 20 The eye or
eyes on that part OF the roof vet sea-
son the upper part will escape rot Ia ron
sequence OF wet and col season. and will
send ont the vine from that portion while
even the lower part may become decaycd
The upright position does not send on,
sprouiing roots, the horizontal will
There Is also danger OF eating the root,
IN plowing al after wears where the lin or
roots are put in uprighlly. The upris lit
position OF the plants has been fully tested
and demonstrates this theory TO be the true
and correct one. The best informed hop
growers ia the West. have found il paw.
ing business to set a small pole, about the
size OF bean pole, TO each bill the Gr,t
year Of planting. by so doing have obt aine j
from three TO four hundred pounds OF hops
per acre. and il is also claimed that i, en-.
couragcs better growth o { the vine in AZ.
ter years trust our hop growers will try
the experiment, the coming season.
In New England. and particularly in
Maine all bop growers agree that the aver.
age annual expense OF cultivation does not
exceed 10 cents per pound This estima.
mate melodies the entire cost of all outlaws
Ofproiue'ion from the preparation of the
soil. TO The marketing OF The crop The
average price per pound being frac.
ton over ID esnts-hence a ret income Of .
cents per pound We can sec by a cotnpari.
son OF facts and figures. that The New Eng.
land hop grower can compete. aud cultivate
the hop at less expense. than the growers
OF the West. with bis troad and fertile
prairie.
The bop crop in the Wet is more an
certain that IA New England lt - fire.
qaenty the case tl.ai !be crop west is a tail
q nre. when success in New Enrland the
number Of pounds pei acre average nearly
the same. Tbc cost ola dry house in the
wesi Is more ihan double Of the same here
The cost OF poles ~ Maine At the hon Geld
II purchased by the farmer does hot ex
coed iory dollars per thousand. while in
the West they cost one hundred add aft,
dollars per thousand. Labor here compar.
ell With the West. - about four dollars per
month less than there. The quality Of the
hop Of y. England. compares we'll With
thai OF IL. W. & mimi. - IL