The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-20
GENERAI sHTPNrNTs
THE HOP Market.


Puyallup Prices Advancing-Nev York
and London Advises.
PUyALLuP, April ls.-fSpecial Tho hop
market seems to be on the turn Of the tide, 80 to
speak. A week ago % cents was the highest
offer here, while today holder of III bales was
offered ISL cents. 1t is the universal opinion
that prices have taken a turn upward, and that
ere long good prices viii again rule The New
York market is decidedly firm, and the business
done indicates q healthy tone. There has not
been much advance in price there, but within
the next ten days considerable advance ID
looked for.
THE LONDON MARKET
There is q general feeling of confidence In the
slight improvement noticeable here, and IL
holders did not press their stocks on the market.
prices would undoubtedly rule higher.
The following circular states the position
very clearly:
LONDON, March s1-Iw. H. and H. LIE Mays
Report Business has hardly yet resumed
since the holidays, but a. the weak holders APP
pear now to be cleared out prices may be quoted
firm. stocks being so exceedingly small. The
imports last week show falling OF IS compared
with Last year, being sos bales Is against ~
bales.
NEW York, April 4-fRothbarfh 4 Sons Cir
cular. l-Sinee our circular of February Q, the
market has declined considerably. The New
York farmers, who have been the principal
holders in this country for the last
four months, became very weak ss
them being forced to sell to meet
impending liabilities. The LIST of April 10
practically the end OF the farmers financial
year in this state, and it Is always critical time
Tor the trade. The weak holders are, however,
pretty well shaken out now, and those who
have tided over this period can afford to carry
their hops, Is the crop will be well up the poles
before they need more money.
The stock Of American hops in FIRST hands is
now reduced 10 1900 bales In New York state
and 1000 bales on the Pacific coast The unsold
German hops held by dealers here have dwiu-
died to about 90 bales. We believe, however,
that the supply controlled by brewers has been
underestimated. and that nearly sll of them still
have three months requirements on hand.
In our February circular we put the average
consumption Of hops in America at one and one
quarter pounds per barrel This estimate has
been criticised in some directions as being too
high Brewers have no doubt economical
Is much as possible this season in
their use Of hops, and the adoption
with the allowances which must be made
for the occasional use Of hop "adJuncts." should
all be taken into account Is Is quite possible,
therefore, that the consumption does not nt
present exceed one pound per barrel, though we
believe il will always average more when prices
~
further increase in the beer output during the
coming summer, and II this proves to be the
case we still think that the remainder
OF our hops viii all be needed before the new
crop is in the market.
The increase in the beer production of the
three principal beer-drinking countries for $50
was phenomenal The exact figures, given in
United states barrels, are as follows:
Barrsls
United states OF America. -s,Il5,2l6
Engiaho -------.-.--...-.-. l,bso,1-o
German Empire. 4.aal ,ss7
Total ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. .s,sl572S
These countries account for three quarters of
the entire beer production of the world. The
official figures for the other countries VIII prob
ably bring the total increase up TO nearly
100 900 barrels. IL will be remembered that
the weather throughout Europe was very un-
favorable 10 the business last year, and although
We had good beer summer in America, trade
was slow during the last four months of the
year. IL seems reasonable, therefore, TO antiei-
pate an equally large increase in the
output this year, in which case the
hop problem will be serious again next
season A good deal Of new acreage is being
planted to hops on the Pacific coast, bat IL will
not be heard from to any extent before the ls92
crop is harvested.
Considerable speculative interest is already
manifested in the growing crops, and several
dealers are trying 10 contract On the Pacific
coast, bu, farmers are less willing than usual 10
enter into such engagements. There IS good
deal OF gossip about the prevalence of lice In
Washington, though experienced dealers are
paying very little attention TO H. OF
course IL Is possible thai IN . ell
mate where frost 10 unknown, the dreaded aphis
may be in evidence all the year round, but II Is
doubtful IL the Washington farmers are SUM-
GENTLY up in entomology 10 Discriminate between
sslice" and alice" II al goes 10 show, however.
that no dependence can be placed on the wash
ington ana Oregon crops hereafter. and that an
other element of uncertainty must be consid-
cred In our future calculations
Ii is generally believed that prices have now
touched bosseIa. and that brighter tires are
comins. The "Silres lining u indeed already