The plants of middle earth

[Alfirin]

Originally Posted by William Cloud Hickli

I notice that to make up the length the woodwright had to join two pieces together- also that it's (to my mind) too skinny to be much of a shilleleagh.

Thanks, well there goes that theory for Lebethron, along with one of my short story ideas (there was a short story I was writng (non-tolkein) where a minor plot point involved a whisky barrel made of persimmon heartwood.)

By the way since the question of the mushrooms was broached I have another agricultural question which came up in a disagreement I had with someone. Though not stated implicity do you think that Tolkein meant to imply that hops are grown in Middle-Earth, based on the fact that beer and ale are made an drunk there. I am aware of the fact that hopping of beer is near nearly unversal but I am also aware that it is possible to make beer without hops. (as in St. Peters King Cnut) Hopping became a common practice in english beer around the late middle ages so its a bit unclear as to whether Tolkiein meant for middle earth beer to be hopped or not. What do you all think?