SOILS OF THE PROVINCE OF AUCKLAND. [No. 5.]

New Zealander, Volume XVII, Issue 1547, 13 February 1861, Page 2

SOILS OF THE PROVINCE OF AUCKLAND. [No. 5.]

HOP CULTURE. —PART r. Important as must ever be the production of those essential elements of food, to which the cultivation of the soil is mainly devoted, there are still plants, the produce of which present a larger profit to the grower from the fact that all climates', soils, and situations are not equally suited to their growth. Foremost amongst these is the Hop plant. Possessing as we do in the Province of Auckland a climate superior to that which at home produces the finest hops—with land here and there equal if not superior to the far-famed weald of Kent, is it not strange that so little attention has been paid to what might have become a fruitful source of profit to the individual, and a boon to the working classes? Attention was drawn to this subject some three years ago in the columns of this journal by an enterprising settler in the immediate neighbourhood of Auckland, nor has that appeal to public enterprise been altogether without its results, however slow the advance. Out country settlers have to our knowledge tried the experiment of growing hops on a small scale, and are, in those instances which have fallen immediately within our observation, perfectly satisfied with the results.

So far good has been done, but what we require is a disposition and willingness on the part of one or more of these experimentalists to put pen to paper, and give the farming public at large the benefit of their newly acquired knowledge. To do this effectually experiments should be conducted in a systematic form, observations made and recorded at the time, and no minutke, however trifling, be considered too unimportant. In one case we know of a party who from a few hills last year produced 20 lbs. weight of hops,— it can scarcely be a matter of surprise that he should express his determination of laying down a portion of ground as a permanent hop garden. The situation was a hill side, the soil clay loam on a clay subsoil—and facing the south east. We are not aware what variety of the hop was grown, but were assured that like all the hops hitherto grown in the Province of Auckland their quality weight for weight was as two to one, compared to those imported from home This among other reasons is one worth prominently urging in favour of the further introduction of the hop among our Auckland products. On every farm at all suitable for their growth, we should like to see some portion, however small, set apart for this purpose. I#some countries as Flanders for instance, if we recollect aright, the hop-ground is not cultivated for that purpose longer than five or six years, at the expiration of which time it is rooted up, and returned to the ordinary rotation of the farm, a fresh piece having been previously prepared to take its place. By this means the whole of the farm in course of time undergoes such a preparation as cannot but conduce to its fertility for any purposes of cultivation. But in England it is not unusual for hop grounds to remain as such (the plants being renewed from time to time) for fifty years or upwards. Large then as the expense of the first cultivation may appear when compared with that for other crops, it is when under the English system but one expanse—and an investment that need be made hut once in a life time.

There are several varieties of the hop cultivated in England, some are of* an earlier growth than others, : some grow to a greater height. Now in this country where the only obstacle would be the wind, we should suppose that, cateris paribus, this dwarfish variety known as " the Jones Hop" would become a favorite. There is too, while on this subject, another point to be considered, that advantage should be taken of the earlier maturity of one sort over another, thus causing one portion of the crop to ripen before the other—that the push at harvest may be lessened. The Golding and Canterbury varieties are the earliest, the Grape next, and the latest variety with which we are acquainted is the Colcgate. It is important in laying out a hop garden that the grower commence with cutiitigs. As with the potato, no reliance can be placed on the varieties produced from the seed, and id the same way the cultivation of hops from seed is never resorted to but for the purpose of originating new varieties. It is the custom of some to plant out the cuttings at once in the places, or as they are technically termed " hills," where they arc intended to remain, but by far the better plan is 'to plant the cuttings out in a separate bed, and transplant them the following October, when the roots have struck, to the place where they are to remain permanently. In the former plan many plants die out and consequently they require to be planted in double numbers ; and as some hills all die or all live, or at best but come irregularly, there is not only the necessity of thinning but also of filling up the gaps next year. But it will be better to return in something like a more systematic manner, to the consideration of the subject. Having selected the most h'tting portion of his farm, let the aspect if possible be north eastern, east, or south east, —sheltered on the one hand from the prevailing south westerly winds, and on the other not exposed to the full glow of the meridian sun - a uniform temperature throughout the day being more suitable for this plant. Where the aspect is not sufficiently sheltered from the wind, an excellent temporary shelter may be formed by sticking the four outside rows of hills on the windward side of the field, with extra strong poles tieiug cross poles up and down the rows, and again other poles at right angles to these, the whole four rows deep —allow the bines to cover these untrimmed, and a sufficiently strong and close breakwind will be formed to shelter the remaining portion of the ground. The soil suited for a hop ground should be deep and of a loamy nature, and where not naturally dry should be made so by artificial drainage. To afford sufficient room for the roots of the plants the drains should not be placed at a lower depth than 3 feet, their distance from one another will of course be regulated by the capability of the soil for discharging the under water. To economise labour these drains may be placed in the soil as the ground is being trenched, saving two thirds of the expense. The next work is the trenching of the soil to a depth of at least twenty four inches ; this must bs so done as to retain the subsoil at the bottom, and of course need be no further descanted upon here. We may remark, in passing, that the quickest and most effective way of breaking up the subsoil, which will comprise nine inches out of the twenty four, will be performed with a strong three tined fork. On the surface of the subsoil thus broken up in the bottom of the trench and at a depth of 15 inches, a coating of farm manure and coarse bone dust should be spread, and the top surface of the next trench 15 inches in depth thrown upon the manure—and so on to the end of the field. During this process on stony land all stones ought to be thrown out, and either wheeled off the ground or used for filling up the drains. Thus the whole hop ground will be drained, spade and fork trenched, and manured below at a depth of 15 inches. This should bo performed in autumn, the soil may then lie until the following spring. In early spring, not later than October, of the hop ground should be harrowed and reduced to as fine a j>ogaiblg,_and where practicable, a dressing- nf

, In setting out the plants, a mean from hill to hill should be preserved, and!£!.{* « £ to the method, a quincunx form is prefeS? plan of setting them out in squares J?* «1 accesi to the circulation of the air amonfa? 8 l hj the plants. Besides a greater numberof t>r 4 extent of one sixth can be grown at ea.ui&jf' s ' %' on the same area by this metiwdTtHriT* *5 occupy the same ground planted in ton,, H plants are set three in a hill at a distance of ?L inches from one another, as at the points of k celes triangle, a small quantity of rich r *" *»■ placed with them to assist the young plants down to the manure below. They are inclination of the stems to a common centre ;S the roots to the outside ; upon the earth bein round them over the stems, a ring is usnalJhry'W the soil round each hill to mark its place, v** l *. All varieties of the hop are Dioecious hj *"'* necessary to have male plants growing' am^" 1 lemales which produce the crop, trusting a®% *kl and bees to disseminate the germinating farij, $w the females. A proportion of one per cent plants will be sufficient. A row of tkeae. v \ planted on that side from whence the I blow might tend to secure the proper imprei?/ 5* the female flower. Impregnated flowers are! * larger, firmer, and heavier, and neve gro w ?X and open as the spurious ones. Attention a paid throughout to keep the space between th J* free from weeds, and the ground shosld be k over every year, at which time a dressing of should be applied. The best manure for h ls!, woollen rags—but bone-dust, guano, dang &f f,il be applied with advantage. '^aa. During the first year of a new nop fjroainj rt, between the hills may be cropped with a «J ' (manured of course expressly for itself) as it win to keep the ground clean, and be an immediate n to the farmer for his outlay. During the young plants will send out bines which must be ported the first ?ear by a temporary stake, ifUyl plants, and not slips, a small crop of hops 125 looked for this year. In autumn after the bines hj died down, they should be cut off, and the hi lightly drawn over them a«* a from J which even here might otherwJM- injure t} le jag The most important operation <>f hop culture a l dressing of the shoots in spring After drawing Jl the soil, which has during the muter covered the2 and having thus bared the plants it will be found th? the sets or shoots of last year have swollen to foo five times their original size. It is the cuttia» 4? off at the right part, on which depends the aftcJ cess of the plant. The place where they shejlu cut is between the crown and the first joint, for j around the set, close to the crown itself where I most fruitful bine comes. If cut too close down hj! crown the buds, which may be seen ready to tm' there, are destroyed, and those which will then S will assuredly be few and weak. Again if the saam. cut off above the first joints the bines which come fe» that or any other joints higher up are, though 2 grow fast, h|)th coarse and hollow, and unproductive. ' After the dressing is performed the earth is ug drawn to the sets and a ring formed round the lit, mark its place. The next operation is that cf fe the poles: three poles are required for each hilQ should be firmly fixed in the ground, at least am inches under the soil as they are feet abort it K bines, when they have shot to a sufficient length, k> tied on the poles with withered rushes, which caai injuie the stem of the bines against the poles, mi fa tie is made with a slip-knot so as to give way is fa vine grows larger and increases in diameter, ft tyings are done from near the ground top t» fi»efe above it, and only three bines, of course the arc left on each set and trained np each pole, fa remainder being pruned off. Some approve of <k plan of stripping the bines of their leaves to a belli of two feet from the ground, to allow the air to ggfc the roots of the plants, and to enable the farmer fa better to keep the intermediate soil between than j» . from weeds. This finishes the operation as far i»it summer cultivation of the hopplant isconcerned. In future paper we shall allude to their picking In the mean time we hope to see this subject rentfktf those whose cxperince in the growth of hops into Province may give both weight and interest to tte communications. Surely this branch of farming, gst which is attended with such large profits, and at inn is only circumscribed by the capabilities ot soil ai climate, is worthy of being incorporated into tc : colonial system of cultivation. We have every admtage necessary to their production, the plea of cs» ness of labour can hardly now be raised. VJL I after the first formation of the hop ground the m portion of the labour employed in their cultivata i such as could be performed by the younger porfioa of the settler's own family. The returns of only ansa would probably yield, under their management, a much profit as he could obtain by his own work ui that of a team off several acres. The gross products! an acre of hops will at any rate leave a large proft. one which should induce some of us to bring the the day when Auckland instead of importing shall § enabled to class hops among the number aftat exports.