The Sunne in the South, or els southly by west, Is joye to the hop as a welcomed gest, But wind in the North, or els northely and east, To hop is as ill as fray in a feast. { 77}
Meete plot for a hopyard, once found as is told, Make thereof accompt, as of jewell of gold, Now dig it, and leave it the sunne for to burne, And afterwards fence it to serve for that turn.
Among the directions for good husbandry for the various months, Tusser advises that—
In March at the furdest, drye season or wet, Hope rootes so well chosen, let skilful go set, The goeler[37] and younger, the better I love Wel gutted[38] and pared, the better they prove.
Some layeth them crosewise, along in the ground, As high as the knee, they do come up round. Some pricke up a sticke, in the midds of the same: That little round hillocke, the better to frame!
Some maketh a hollownes, halfe a foote deepe, With fower sets in it, set slant wise a steepe One foote from another, in order to lye, And thereon a hillock, as round as a pye.
By willows that groweth, thy hopyard without, And also by hedges, thy meadowes about, Good hop hath a pleasure, to climbe and to spread: If sonne may have passage to comfort her hed.
[38] gutted = taken off from the old roots.
The process of setting the hop-poles is thus described:—
Get into thy hopyard with plentie of poles, Amongst those same hillocks deuide them by doles, Three poles to a hillock (I pas not how long) Shall yield thee more profit, set deeplie and strong.
Care must be taken to weed and to fence the hop garden:—
Grasse, thistle and mustard seede, hemlock and bur, Tine, mallow and nettle, that keepe such a stur, With peacock and turkie, that nibbles off top, Are verie ill neighbors to seelie poore hop.
If hops do looke brownish, then are ye to slow, If longer ye suffer, those hops for to growe. Now, sooner ye gather, more profite is found, If weather be faier, and deaw of ye ground.
Not break of, but cut of, from hop the hop string, Leave growing a little, again for to spring. Whos hil about pared, and therewith new clad, That nurrish more sets, against March to be had.
Hop hillock discharged, of every set See then without breaking, ecche poll ye out get, Which being betangled, above in the tops: Go carry to such, as are plucking of hops.