The English improver improved; or the survey of husbandry surveyed ... / [Walter Blith].

  • Walter Blith
Date:
[1652]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The English improver improved; or the survey of husbandry surveyed ... / [Walter Blith]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    I fhall defcribeic thus, it comes up with feverall {prouts like Sparrowgrafs, runs up and climbs on any thing it meets withall, bears long ftalks, hairy, and rugged leaves, broad werewith fcales yellowifh, called in High Dutch Lupulus, in Low Dutch Hopffem, and in Englifh Hop. It is offenfive upon this {core, hotin the firft degree, ftuffs the head with the {mel, thereforeufeitnottoo much, yet the leaves open and cleanfe. 1 The beft land is your richeft land, and intime you muft gain therein, left another reap the benefit of your la~ bour. It muft be a deep mould, that which lyeth near the Rock the Poles cannot be fet deep enough to ftand firm ; it would bea mixedearth that is compounded of fand and alittle clay, but much folidear h ; a ftrongifh land layd dry and’ warm will bare the moft weightieft Hops. A barren, morith, wet foy],is not naturall to the Hops de- light, but if this be layd very dry,and made very rich with dung and foyl, it may do reafonable well. Ic will bebeft to ftand warm if may bz, prefeived from North and EFaft winds, rather by hils than trees, asnear your houfe as may be, and that Land you determine for your Hop- aiUen, lay as levell andas {quare as yecan poffible, endif it be rough and ftiff, it willdo well to be fowed with Hemp , Beans or Turnips before ; but in what ftate foever it be, till it in the beginning of Winter with plough or fpade, and this not onely the year before, but every year fo long as you ute it, and the more painsand coft you beftow, the more profit , and the nearer you refemble the Flemming in his Hopping. And for your Sets, thofe are your Roots taken from your old hils and roots, go to a Garden orderly kept, where the Hops are ofa good kind, all yearly cut, and'where the hills are raifed very high, for there the roots will be greateft , and buy choice Sets; they may coft fix pence a hundred, and fometimies have them for taking up, leaving things orderly and their hill well dreffed. You mutt chufe the biggeft roots you can find, fuch asare three or four inches about, and the Setnine or ten inches, Hh 3 long, BeftHop-fand. Fow ahop- garden fhould ftand, Beft hop- fer; and where to have them,
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