Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-10-26

IF most OF its country homesteads. They
are very ancient stone-built and exceed
ingly large; low, but wide, with out
spreading wings and "lean-tos," Centuries
old ash. lime or oak trees cluster about
them. Fine old walls enclose shaded lanes
leading to and from them. The out
buildings are large and substantial Great
orchards are set about them. The group |
ings are pictures of rustic opulence thrift |
and good husbandry. They almost cause |
the wanderer to long to know them and |
larry within them. But stranger not |
understanding one of tho sources of the |
great wealth Of Kent, will curiously re- |
gard certain strange looking structures
standing near every farmhouse in many
districts.
They are round and tall and white.
Some have red-painted cones, and these
are In turn suflnounted by white cowls,
shaped like an arched fan, their mouths
always opening In the direction opposite
that from which the wind blows. Against
gray and wntry horizons these odd struc-
lures form weird silhouettes. But wher-
ever you see them you may know, at any
time of the year. that you are in the long
famous hop country of Kent. 1t is TO
these quaint, and always picturesque old
kilns, or "oast-houses" as they are here
called. that the hops are brought for dry
Ing, or curing, after they are picked by
the molly throngs in the odorous gardens
and fields.
In all Of England perhaps $4,000 acres
are planted in hops. Nearly one-half of
the entire area is within the shire of Kent.
The system of hop-raising, picking and
drying is simple and interesting. The
plants, which are perennial, are set in hills
one foot high, six feet apart and in rows,
az we plant Indian corn in America. These
hills from being rounded are called
''crowns." There are about 1,2C0 to the
acre. and each one requires from Two to
four poles from 10 to il feet in length, &C
a. al. 30 hnr, MA laA
These poles are of larch, alder, ash, chest
mt, and occasionally of oak, and owing
to the scarcity of woods in England, in
themselves represent very large outlay.
Early in April the "crowns" are opened
and trimmed OF the last years shoots,
which have been cut close to the ground
and these sets are used for propagation
in nursery beds. The new bine or stem
now springs from the bottom of the per-
manent setting. In the open winter
months the hopgarden has been dug to
depth of eight inches with tiat-tined forks,
Shortly after the opening of the crowns"
and trimming of the old bines polling is
begun. This is done by the acre or by the
hundred poles. The laborer's wife and
children lay out the poles while he makes
the holes with an iron "hop-pitcher."
Women are solely employed in the next
process, called hop-tying. The puny
shoots must be trimmed away, and two or
three of the hardy ones tied TO the poles.
This is done by the acre, and whatever
portion of the hop-garden is thus attended
10 by one woman is called taking" Fol
securing the shoots to the poles without
injury rushes are exclusively used ane
these are harvested from marshes, haugh'
beside streams or wet meadows, and drlec
in manner to render them tough, by
children. The women must go over thei
"takings" many times, cutting out sicklN
or broken bines and tying in newer ant
healthier ones until the work is beyon'
their reach.
Then the men resume the work. The,
go over the 'takings' us the women hav.
done, standing upon short rough step-lad
ders until they reach the top of the poles
Then ''niggeting'' season begins and onl
ends when the hop-gardens are in full
bloom. The nugget is an implement wit!
iron tines, something like huge hoe sll
into several narrow divisions. With thi
" the alleys between the rows are kept q
clean of weeds as a newly plowed field
and the soil is constantly broken and pu
verified about the crowns that the root
made derive all possible nutrition, air an
free moisture. These comprise all th
n necessities of cultivation; but the alarms
WI vexations and anxieties OF the hopgrowt
~ are only fairly begun as his heaviest labol
are ending.
MI Picking and curing are the final pr
WI cesses. Perhaps tlom $1,000 to loO0'
III souls could at one time be found in u
hop-gardens of Kent. Half OF these a
from London, and comprise the most il
MI describabe lot of "human various" ey
drawn together by a common interest
all the world Ii field OF 20 acres is
NJ be picked, there will be from six to tt
'sets" OF pickers with from half doz,
to score OF pickers in each set. The:
m ranged along the entire length Of the tiel
W are each supplied with bin" The b
NJ is rude low framework of old pole
III built after the fashion of an Ameriei
settlers log-cabin, about three feet wi
MI and six feet long, with elevated GRO
/" stakes at each end supporting stout pc
Isl above the pickers' heads, like the ride
HI rail of an old-fashioned ''stake-and-ride
WI American rail fence against which t
Vii hop-poles and their feathery, odorous By
dens are rested while the hops are bell
III picked and flung into the sack, depends
from the bins corners below.
III The piokers are supplied With with poles ole
hop.raiser. There will be one to a set,
the set comprises a large number
pickers, and often one man will SUPP
two or three. He is provided with an 4
plement called "hop-dog." With this
above the ground, but also prizes (priZS
he will call it, the pole out OF the groui
and carries Ii and its downy fruitage
the busy pickers near. Women follow
pullers and stack the discarded vines
use by the compost-makers or the IN
made, and stack the poles into tidy pi
against the next seasons use. In this "
hop-garden is cleaned up MS closely u
swept by ali army OF grasshoppers or
all consuming fire.
In the meantime huge four-wheeledc CO
ard wagons are atherlng up the hops
the "oasts'' or kilns. The master" Iisua
measures the hops from the bins. Pick
| are paid ON the basis of certain agr
4 upon number Of bushels to the shillIn
four, live, six or even eight, according
i the leanness or fatness OF the crops Pr
dent old as hops in Kent demands that
II shall not have heavy hand,h that
that he shall not press together the b
taken from the bin; and an equally un
peachable custom will not permit hin
pack or heap the almost weightless s.
in the measures. Scores OF keen
II almost savage eyes are upon his ey
movement. nth ops must hover " in
bushel, or be dropped in 1t as lightly as
i M be; and were the bushels heaped an
above their rims the master knows
instead of hops series of strikes
| riots would instantly be on his hal
Following him is always the tally-r
M who credits the measurement to each >,
N# in the "tally-books;" and the custom is
l the pickers may at any time draw in {
II M to the amount Of three-fourths OF VIII
due; the remaining one-fourth to be
feited should the pckers leave the ma
before his crop is gathered.
All sorts of signals are used to bring
ptckers together in the morning and a
noon. Some of the old farm houses