The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-20 00:00:00

HOP INTELLI6ENCE,

EAST lINTYORD, JULY 15, 1846.°—The period of the
year has again arrived when, if we cannot speak with
certainty as regards the coming crop, we can assume
flow the aspect, of the respective plantations, what we
may reasonably anticipate in the forthcoming au'umn.
For the purpose of doing our best endeavours to obe.in
correct knowledge of the actual state of the grounds,
we have made an extensive tour through the district,
end tan? report thereupon will he found in the subjoined
district repotee. Before proceeding to give these, we are,
however, desirous of making a few general observations
ern the district at large, as they were calleeted un our
recefit visit. In the first place it is quite evident to us
that the old Kent sets, which are in existence in many
of our plantations, are this year proving a greater failure
than any other ; but whether this may arise from the
setuse of this particular species of the plant, or whether
from the pemiliarity of the settees', or from ths se o
ceases combined, is a problem beyond our province to
decide, In the next piece, with one or two trifltig ex.
ceotions, the hops on the lighter and alluvial soils are
It' a more luXuriant state, and have a much greater
alatthletice of bine than the argillaceous and strong
adhesive clays. There is etiether matter to which we
would call the attention of oar hop-growing friends :
it is this—finding the early blight to be so , xtensive
acid soSste, and thinking that it WI illbi 13(- useless to supply
the usual dre&Aing with manure, at the accu,toteed pe-
riA they neglected to perform this absolutely neces-
sary ore-eeriest, which has already proved not only de-
trimental to the growth of the present crap, but will
ultimately so weaken the stock as in a great measure
to give it a fair chance of failing during the next year.
This mode of dealiqg with a non-productive crop is
highly censurable, and certainly ought no longer to be
practised,
Our readers will perceive by a careful perusal of the
sebsequent part of this article that some whole parishes
are fellures, and that in many of the remainder the crop
is partially so ; for whatever may be the nature of the
coming weather it is a matter of perfect impossibility
for those places where so much shortness of bine exists
so to progress as ultimately to yield anything like near
a halt crop. After, therefore, carefully weighine; over the
district, and supposing the- best portions to come to full
perfection, and the others to progress in proportion, we
think that it cannot pay a greater old duty than 21001.
Of course, this is putting the best face upon the matter
as to present appearances ; but that the crop has many
casualties to contend with, this amount may be taken as
a full aggregate.
Supposing, therefore, that the North Clay district
should ultimately pay 2,100 L, and that the kingdom
should pay in proportion, we cannot think that hops
will he uncommonly cheap, because the old duty of the
whole would not exceed 195.0001. Let us then sve
what stock there is likely to remain on hand in October,
when the new crop shall he brought into the market.
According to the most careful calculations made by
persons well qualified to judge in the matter, it was
found at the close of the year 1844 that net more than
half a year's consumption, efall growths and of all ages,
still remained in the country. Ttse old duty of last year
amounted to 158,0001.. about 26,000/. more than the an
nual consumption, which will give a surplus of hops in
the old duty of 63,4361. at the close of the hop year in
1846. So that assuming the duty for 1846 to be 195,000/.,
it will have an aggregate of nearly two years stock on
hand. But this is presuming upon the amount of the
growing crop. If the duty should not prove to be greater
than it is at present calculated upon, viz., 135,000/.,
will at once reduce the amount of stock to about seven-
teen mouth's consumption, with the risk remaining of
another year's probable crop.
The estimated duty which five or six weeks ago was
under 90.0001., has now advanced to 140,0001. ; still the
accounts from the heavy districts in the south are so
conflicting that we cannot at present, with any degree of
confidence, look forward to a large crop. No doubt. in
many of the best managed grounds in Kent and Sussex,
the bine is promising and healthy; but in the aggregate.
and judgiug from the accounts which continue to reach
us of the paucity of bine and the indiffsretit condition of
many of the remainder, the planters and factors will be
pleased to see 150,000/. realised upon hops of good
quality. The absence of speculation during the last
year, in this fluctuating article, has presented a re.
markable feature—but it is principally to be accounted
for by the railway market having absorbed the attention
of capitalists—and the present position of the market
presents an anomaly scarcely to be accounted for on
reasouable grounds, that with the doubt that must still
exist as to the results of the present year's growth,
coupled with the fact that the stock, even of hops of a
middling quality, is lighter-than for many years past,
that prices should even he full 20s. per cwt. lower than
at the commencement of the season last October.—Don-
caster Gazette.