Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-06-13
LOOKING FOR HOPS.
ANOTHER PROMINENT LONDON HOP
FACTOR IN THE CITY.
Pacific Coast Hops Growing In Favor
With Foreign Brewers-Advantages
of American Growers.

William Noakes, senior member of the
firm of VIM. Noakes, Son & Collard, Of
London, England, is in the city, interview
ing hop men and looking out for the inter
ests of his house. Mr.. Noakes is the third
prominent London hop factor who has
visited Sacramento during the past two
weeks, which would seem to indicate that
California hops are likely to be in demand
in England this year.
A representative of the RECORD UNION
had conversation with Mr.. Noakes yes
terday, during which that gentleman said:
II have been around good bit since I
came out here, and 1 am very much i'm
pressed with your lovely climate and
your wonderful horticultural and agricult.
ural advantages. find that the amount
of hops we have left is unprecedentedly
small-smaller even than we had in 1882,
the high-price year. That / gather, is
about the state of things here.
"A grower was complaining to me yes
terday about the hardness of the case of
the California hop-growers. He thought
that the California hop-grower or Ameri-
can hop-grower was not appreciated in
England. pointed out to him that his
case was nothing compared to that of the
English hop-grower. He is protected by
the tariff, while the Englishman must
contend with the whole world with his
hands tied.
again, it is an acknowledged fact that
the Pacific coast hops have risen in the
estimation of brewers very considerably
within the last few years-first, owing to
the equable climatic conditions, and,
next, because you are able to produce a
more regular sample, both as to color and
quality. Your fine, bright color is much
more important factor in the market than
generally supposed. Besides, you have
improved your quality very much in the
last few years. There was good rise last
fall, which has been fully maintained, and
from present appearances the prospects for
the coming crop are tiattering.
The latest reports l have from home
speak of fly to some extent. That is al
ways danger, and, to some extent, occurs
every year more or less. to be developed or
not as the weather favors it or otherwise
Of course it is too early yet to judge of the
effect of fly for this year. 1t may be-
come an important element and it may
not. But Independent of the recent ap-
pearance of fly our market is ruling very
firm, owing TO short supplies.
Pacific coast hops have been improved
by more care in picking and curing, which
is very important particularly in getting
them picked free from leaves. The grow
ers should not forget the importance of
this. Another thing is to get bales as even
in size as possible. Two hundred pounds
is the best size.
'The growers have had four or five years
of adversely. but think the turning point
has come and that, if they keep up the
quality, they will have several years of
prosperity. No other article, except tea, is
judged so critically as hops, hence the
necessity of care in picking and curing.
The taste for German hops in England has
been losing ground rapidly as compared
with American hops, and the latter are