The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-01-24

tudes, and when grown south of the New
York line are subject 10 rust and blight, al
though a fair crop once and awhile may be
obtained. As the present high prices are
due to the failure of the European hep crop
last year, the arrangement may be only
temporary, and there is no reason why our
staple crops should be abandoned in order
to venture in hop growing.
There are. however. those who desire 70
know how hops are cultivated, aud the plan
in England Is to select good rich soil and
pillow it deep, at the same time manuring
well and heavily. Good drainage is also
necessary, and every precaution is taken to
afford the most favorable conditions for
maturing the crop. Cuttings or shoots OF
any approved sort which have been
reared in a nursery, are planted in rows
six feet apart and the hills should also be
that distance apart in the rows. From two
to three plants are allowed to each bill, and
they are separately staminate and pistillate,
one male plant being planted for every fifty
of the others. No crop is expected in the
first year, but q hoed crop of some sort may
be grown during that time between the bills
of hops, the cultivation, and manuring for
which being considered beneficial. Each
hill has q short pole, which is fixed before
summer, to which the young vine is
fastened and trained. Early in spring the
ground is again cultivated, both the cultivator
and hoe being used, and the bills are hnally
earthed up in June. In this country the
distance between rows varies from SIX to
eight feet and some growers use two poles
instead of one, the poles being from twelve
to eighteen feet in height. Seven feet apart
each way is also favorite distance, which
gives 600 hills to the acre, and allows fewer
vines to the hills. Plenty of sunlight and q
free circulation of air is beneficial 10 the
vines, and manure may be added at any
stage of the growth, owing to the plant being
grass feeder.
As to the quantity of hops usually pro-
duced no exact estimate can be made, as
everything depends on the attention given
by the grower in cultivating. The use of
manure and tie quality of the soil are also
important, but first in the management Is
the iudiciOus use of the pillow, cultivator and
the hoe, to say nothing of setting, tying and
training the vines. From four to six pounds
have been gathered to each bill on good To-
cations, and it is not expecting too much to
claim one ton of hops for every acre Guilt
waited, though much less is often OBJ
tanned. The crop, which is always hand
picked, affords employment to a large num-
Der of hands during the picking season, the
prices paid ranging according to location.
The New York hop district last year pro-
duced Is 600, 600 pounds of hops, and the
| cost of production was from ten to fifteen
cents per pound, including all expenses oil
weges, interest, use of land, etc, and the av-
erage price obtained was sixty cents, al
| though some lots sold for 81. The crops are
always quickly salable aud the demand tor
| hops increases annually.
Saving Seed.
Correspondence Home and FARM
In saving all kinds of garden seed one
great trouble is to properly clean them, and
another is to keep them pure, as quite d
number are very easily mixed, and thu:
ruined for seeding purposes. In sewing
beets, carrots, lettuce aud that class of seeds
| il will not do TO wait until all on a stalk are
ripe, as in that case much of the earlier ma
tured seeds 60 to waste before the
latter are ripe. Whenever most of the seeds
are ripe we cut the stalks and let them lay q
day or TWO on sheet, taking them in at
night. and then thrash out. Many of the
| lighter seeds can be easily cleaned by sim
ply taking up in the hands and letting them
| fall in as steady a stream as possible on 9
sheet or newspaper; 1.-THE wind will clean
them sufficiently for all purposes. A fine
sieve is very handy in doing such work with
the smaller seeds.
With tomatoes, squash, watermelon
muskmelon and that class of pulpy seeds
they should be washed clean before they are
allowed to dry. 1t may take several wash
ings before they are properly cleaned, bu
| il can easier be done we'll at first than al
any time in the future. After cleaning
thoroughly they should be dried thoroughly
before putting away. If you do not wan
your vines 20 mix they must be planted
| some distance apart, and if possible with
some other varieties OF vegetables between
| them.
| There are but few vegetables that matur,
seeds the same year in time to De used tn
season. Turnips and rutabagas do withou
any difficulty; by setting a row early in th'
spring you can, by taking care of them, have
the seed in plenty of time for sowing TO
| fall use. But the majority of root crop
have to be kept over during the winter, theI
set out again in the spring, and they viii
mature seeds during the summer. Parsnip
and salslfy need not be taken up; they Cal
De left out all winter, and in the spring they
will start up a good stalk and matur
seeds for use the next year. Cabbag
should be well pitted in the fall, and in thu
spring set out again, when they will matur'
seeds. One or two specimens of most veget
ables is really all that is necessary to save
providing there were no accidents or fail
ures; but to be sure we usually save at leas
four or five of each kind. We are speakin
now of where you wish to save seed only 70
your own use, not of gardeners or those VIII
make a specially OF raising and selling seeds
but where small quantities are wanted AM
by these who prefer to raise their own see
instead of purchasing.
Household Hints.
CARE OF PoULTRY.-Dressed poultry whic
is to be kept in cold weather should be thor
oughly cleansed. then be wiped dry with
cloth and have -four rubbed all over the in