The Savannah morning news., 1903-05-11

Hops should be grown where there is
a free circulation of air and plenty of
sunshine for without these rust, blight
and lice will abound. Any rich spot
where good corn and potatoes can be
grown is suitable. where no water
stands on the surface at any time. Wa
ter standing around the hops will kill
them, says the American Cultivator.
In the spring, as early as ground can
be worked fine and mellow, the hops
should be planted. The yard is then
staked off and marked off with plow
or lined and planted with a dibble.
Corn, potatoes or any hoed crop can be
raised the first year with the hops.
Rows should be eight feet apart and
the hills the same distance apart both
ways ION rich bottom lands nine or ten
feet is better). 1t is a great mistake
to have the hills crowded.
Runners from old vines are used as
sets for planting. Care must be TAX
en- to keep the sets from male plants
separate from the others. The hop is
a dioecious plant. having stamnate
Nnale) and pistillate (female) flowers
on separate plants. There should be
one staminate hill to every eight hills
each way, or one in siXty-four, making
from eight to twelve in an acre. These
hills are marked at planting to enable
one TO distinguish them at a glance.
Two pairs of eyes each are allowed TO
a set Qf very snort pointed, three pairs
of eyes,. Put three to five of these sets
in hill, four inches apart. Where the
pole system is used, make a furrow
four inches deep, dibble the holes in
the furrow just deep enough to allow
the sets to be underground and press
the soil around them. Set ten-foot
stake one foot deep in each hill. Keep
the weeds down and the ground mel
low. If good sets are used and plant
ed very early, from 600 to 800 pounds of
hops to the acre can be picked the first
year.
Round poles, or better one and one
fourth inches square sawed stuff, may
be used for stakes. Cover these with
gas tar TO Protect them from the
weather, also from insects and lice.
Connect the top of all the stakes by
wire or twinC. Wind once around so
it can be easily removed, run the wire
across the yard both ways At the
staminate lut stakes eighteen feet
long so the male vines will run up
them and the wind can blow the pol
len over the yard. The wire or Irvine
should pass these stakes free so that
the wind wiz not break It,
Early the second spring hoe the dirt
from the hill without injuring the
crown of the root, leaving the hin
yearly bare. With a knife cut Oft all
the old vines and runners. Never tear
them off nor cut them with a hoe. Aft
er blowing and narrowing the yard.
take out the runners or sets and hoe
the dirt back upon the Hill so that the
ground will he nearly level. These
sets are only found after the second
year, and il saved can be sold for
planting.
When the vines are three feet high
tie four of them to each stake the way
the sun goes. Tie as often as any
leave the pole When the smallest vines
have good start (three feet or more)
bury the refuse vine two inches deep at
the foot of the stake, or cut carefully
and cure for fodder.
Mix Stacked lime and unleacbed
ashes, and put on pint to each hill;
thls Keeps away grubs and serves as
manure When the vines are two or
three feet above the stake, wind upon