Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-09-29
THE SALE AND USE OF HOPS.

At the meeting of the New York State
Agricultural Society at Rochester, Sep
TENDER 18th, Emmett Wells, on invitation,
read a practical paper on hops. Most of it
was devoted to the marketing of hops.
He stated that the business was very
"slippery, treacherous and difficult to
manage" His experience was that
more cranky set of men to deal with
could not possibly be found in any branch
of trade than hop.men." The price OF
hops, unlike that of other farm products,
does not depend on the scarcity or abund
ance of the article. In the spring of 1882
the price of hops in the New York market
was "a cents per pound. In May they rose
30 IS cents, and they continued to rise
steadily until November, when they reached
the astonishing price OF 81 10. With few
hops imported, and no new crop to har-
vest, the price declined till, On the Sd of
last August, "bottom was reached, and
hops for which 81 10 had been refused by
some growers sold for IS cents. In his
opinion, there was no more reason for hops
going above 90 cents per pound than Tor
potatoes selling tor $50 per barrel The
effect of the hop boom" was injurious to
the producer, dealer and manufacturer. 1t
set many people to thinking they would be
prepared to sell hops when they again COM
manded 81 10 per pound. Many old hop.
raisers increased their fields, while thou
sands who had never raised a plant pre-
pared to set out large plantations. 1t was
the same in England, France, Belgium and
Germany as in this country. Prices will
not be affected this year by the increased
acreage in hops, but they will be next sea-
]
pro luction means ruiHous prices, and it
specially applies to articles like hops he
advised persOns who are IN the hop-grow-
| ing business to continue in it, although
prices rule very low year or two. Many
! are generally discouraged when prices tall,
| and abandon the business In which they are
engaged Then comes reaction, and prices
advance. He did not question the equity
or fairness of the rule of the commercial
exchange establishing tare of seven
pounds on bale of hops, but he thought
the rule requiring the grower to brand his
bale with his name, year of growth, and
the place where the hops were raised,
would be beneficial to those who pro-
duced a superior article and cured it
properly. 1t would enable man to estsb.
fish reputation that would possess a
market value. Tae producers of hops, as
well as the consumers of beer and other
malt liquors, had much to fear from the
employment of substitutes for hops. When
ever hops were very high brewers outside
of Germany used other materials for pro-
ducing the desired bitter taste and for in
surfing the preservation of the beer. In
Germany there was Government inspect
or in every brewery, and the adulteration
of malt liquors, as well as wine, was a
criminal offense. In this country short
crop of hops was the signal for importing
large quantities of gentian root, chsmomile
flowers, columbo root, quassia wood, nux
vomica, aloes, cocculus lndicus and licorice
paste. To less extent the same was true
in England. While other articles were in
use as substitutes for hops, they were only
employed in the manufacture of malt hq-
uors. He believed that Congress should
employ means to prevent the adulteration
! of the drinks now In so common use in
this country. The requirements of the
Treasury Department do not go far enough.
Government collected large revenue from
malt liquors, and it should do something to
insure their purity and wholesomeness.