The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-27

greatest depths in dry weather that other
wise Will fail, when from any ca1fse either
hard subsoil or prevalence Of water near
the surface in certain seasons Of year the
plant is prevented from striking ieep roots
hence the i'm perative necessity fer the best
results to either select naturally we'll
drained soil or else thoroughly underdrain
before planting.
PgKPARIyo THE SOIL.
have had the best results for q first
years crop in planting on sod iand. Take
fourteen-inch plow and turn q light fur
row of sod, then follow in the bot
tom of this with a twelve-inch pillow
as deep as the pillow can De made
to run. When your land is once
opened the sod drags into the deep
and fresh earth of fine filth is lest on the
surface. in which to plant. This should be
done not later than February, ard what is
better still in October or November. A
sod turned under as described soon de-
Gays and furnishes the best possible coat
ing OF manure at the very time the crop is
ready TO assimilate it. l have with such
Management and planting good roots
raised the first year over ton 10 the acre.
PLANTING.
The first years crop is half cultivated if
hence it pays to spare no pains in doing
the work thoroughly. The poles should be
set before planting. After marking out
the rows each way. six and half or seven
feet apart, and setting the poles, the
planting begins. Not less than two and
better three roots should be planted in
each hill, this will insure a good
stand and if the roots are good and other
conditions favorable the first crop is well
cultivation cannot be deep until the sea-
son is well advanced if planted on sod.
Cultivation should be deep where practi-
cable in every yard, new or old. early
in the season and thorough. When
the bloom appears for several
reasons best let the yard alone Later
cultivation. if judiciously done. will bring
ripenng. more ''chaffy" in spots from
excess Of foliage, and an off color to
what the crop would otherwise be.
Cultivation hould be as nearly level
as practicable. We now never hill up"
hops as like in years gone by. The double
shovel or cultivatOr, with occasional re-
verse blowing with the side plow does the
work. When spraying is to follow We
run the clod masher before the sprayer, so
that the surface is as smooth as a house
floor. If this is not done, the sprayer
Jets will miss the work in many places,
leaving the lice in possession.
CULTIVATION.
The first move toward caltivatfng a crop
is the pruning. This should be dene early;
all runners should be removed and the
crown cut back when growing UP above
the surface. 1t is we'll to cut these, even
to under the surface of the ground, exer-
cising care not to cut 900 near
the last or lowest buds; heavy
SO ~ n IL
light soils; neither is it we'll to
omit pruning altogether any year. In
pruning, all weeds or grass SHOULD be
claned out of the hill and the ground thor
oughly stirred with a four-pronged hoe for
distance of at least fifteen inches from
the center Of the hill. We sometimes
piow first before pruning. The first
blowing Is always done with
double team. and deep turning the
burrows from the hill. Be careful not to
''cut and cover" in the centers, but see to
it that every inch of the ground is thor
oughly plowed between the rows and as
closely to the hills as possible. After the
vines nave started, cultivate thoroughly
in this climate not less than
once week until about the
LIST of July. when the bloom begins
to SHOW. after which let them severely
alone. / do not think much OF scratch
ing" the ground with a harrow; let the
cultivation be deep. 1t would seem need
less to add not to let weeds or grass grow
IN the hills, yet Judging from the appear.
ance OF many yards it would appear there
was joint crop raised in the hills.
TRAINING.
We have, in times gone by, generally
made the mistake of training too many
vines. In one of my yards where We
formerly trained four vines we afterwards
fr0t nd RI % 4
finally, IN the strongest land, to one
vine to the hill, and yet raised ton and
half to the acre. Two vines, if ju5iiciously
selected, or at most three, are enough for
any soil. The richer the soil the fewer
vines should be trained.
1t is all plain sailing until the vines
reach the top of the poles, when, in the
Irvine yards, the fun begins. la bright
weather the vine will follow the SUM-
and climb the pole almost unaded, but
when it comes to go "cross lots" in hor.
lzontal direction. the fight begins. Be-
cause of this 1t Is very important
that the twine should not be so high
as to be out OF reach from the ground
not over seven feet from the ground. Great
care should be taken to stretch" all the
Irvine in every direction, else there will be
sure to be punched" hops and trashy,
bleached. immature. worthless stuff to
mar the sample.
SPRAYING.
Spraying runs along with the cultiva-
ton though not part of it, but should
be stopped at the same time, viz: When
the bloom appears. Spraying must
be done early, else it is as
well not at all; that is, if
it Is needed at all. Ny foreman once
asked me when he should stop spraying.
/ answered. when you can't find a
louise in five minutes diligent
search" The same rule would work
as well about when to begin. Ii in a few
minutes search you can md the louise,
rest assured there are dozens of them YOU
have not seen, and it's time TO up and at
'em, and keep 1t up until they are liter
ally gone.
In our August handbook. speaking of
the ravages by the hop lice. We gave d.
rections, TO which we cannot add and the
correctness of which has been proven by
the later experience,