The record-union., 1893-10-21

the neld, are each supplied with a DIN.
The bin Is a rude, low frame work OF old
poles, built after the fashion OF an Amerl-
can settlers bin, about three feet
wide and six feet long, with elevated
cross stakes at each end, supporting
stout pole above the pickers' heads, ike
the ''rider'' rail of an Old-fashloned
''stake-and-rider' American rail fence,
against which the hop-poles and their
feathery, odorous burdens are rested
while the hops are being picked and flung
into the sack, depending from the bins
corners below.
The pickers are supplied with poles of
hops by 'pole-pullers. employed by the
hop-raiser. There Will be one to a set, if
the set comprises large number OF
pickers, and often one man will supply
two or three. He is provided with an
implement called a "hop-dog." With
this he not only cuts the bines or vines
close above the ground, but also prizes
C'prizes" he will call it, the pole out of
the ground and carries it ana its dcwny
frultageto the busy pickers near. Women
follow the pullers and stack the discarded
vines for use by the ompost-makers, or
the mills where the cheaper grades of pa
per are made, and stack the poles into
tidy piles against the next seasons use.
In this way hop-garden is cleaned up
as closely as if swept by an army OF grass
hopperS or an all-conSumlng ire.
In the meantime huge four-wheeleu
carts and wagons are gathering up the
hops for the "oasts' or kilns. The mas
ter" usually measures the hops from the
bins. Pickers are paid on the basis Of
! certain agreed upon number of bushels to
the shillng-four, five, six or even eight,
according to the leanness or fairness Of
the crops. Precedent old as hops in Kent
demands that he shall not have heavy
hand, y that is, that he shall not press to-
gether the hops taken from the bin, and
an equally unimpeachable custom will
not permit him TO pack or heap the al
most weightless stuff in the measures.
| Scores of keen and almost savage eyes
/ are upon his every movement. "Th' ops
must hover " in the bushel, or be
dropped in it as slightly as can be, and
were the bushels heaped an iota above
their rims the master knows that instead
of hops a series of strikes and riots would
instantly be on his hands. Following
him is always the tallyman who credits
the measurement to each set" in the
"tally-books," and the custom is that the
pickers may, at any time, draw in cash TO
the amount of three-fourths of what is
due, the remaining one-fourth 10 be for
feited should the pickers leave the master
| before his crop is gathered.
All sorts OF signals are used to bring the
pickers together in the morning and af-
ternoon. Some of the old farm-houses
have belfries and bells. At others hand
bells are rung in and about the pick
ers' quarters and camps. Tin-horns are
common and the conch-shell horn is not
intrequent. Work begins shortly after
dawn. The midday rest as well as quit
ting time at night are indicated by the
master or the tallyman entering the field
and shouting mo more polesn This is
in turn shouted by the pOle-pullers, and,
1r ND oft nd pado Of
pickers' voices will echo, frequently de-
risively, and always in mimicry. the or
der for temporary release from toll. In
many fields the pickers wed their cry to
improvised doggerel rhymes fitted to
| the air of the latest popular London
music-hall ballads, and make much mel
odious clamor as they are leaving the
fields.
Most experienced men are employed in
the casts or kilns. They get no rest dur
ing the season of hop-gathering except
from Sunday morning until Monday
morning. From six TO eight small brick
stoves are constantly burning in each
kiln. Charcoal and smOkeless Welsh
coal are solely used, and dash of sui
phur Is occasionally added, which gives
the drying hops a slightly yellow tinge.
About eight feet above the cement cham
bers, inclosing the stoves, is an open floor
constructed of strips like laths. On this
is laid loosely woven covering of horse
hair, and upon this horsehair cloth the
hops are piled TO about the depth of
twelve inches. They are frequently
gently turned and remain IN the kiln for
eleven hours, an hour being allowed for
the change from dry TO a green ''shift'' of
hops, each of which consists of about 500
bushels. The dry hops are then spread
on the floor of the Oast, not only long
enough to cool, but also to regain a cer
tain amount of atmospheric moisture,
without which they would remain brittle
and break into sliYers and dust. They
are now packed in pockets" or long,
strong bags holding few pounds above
one hundred weight, and are ready for
the London market.
OF the So 900 to 100, 900 souls who secure
nearly months lucrative employment
in the hop-gardens OF Kent, perhaps one
third are Kentish cOttagers and villagers.
The remainder are from the lowliest, and,
one might say the most hopeless classes
of London and its immediate suburbs,
although a sprinkling OF responsibility
leavens the latter in few brOken-down
folk who have seen better days, and in
valids with lung and throat troubles who
have been told that the country air and a
long "smell o. the 'ops" would relieve
their ailments. But this great army of
pickers which each year takes possession
Of Kent. divides instantly and sharply
into three grand divisions.
The first comprises the Kentish rural
and village folk. These are favorites
with the masters. They include the en-
tire families of the farm laborers, the
hedge builders, the drain-layers, the hop
dryers, and all countryside folk, while
from the village comes the painter, the
shoemaker, the saddler, the carpenter,
the bricklayer and stonemason, and all
.
family of the schoolmaster and the poor
country curate not ashamed to thus add
to their yearly dole. Separate fields are
nearly always given to these folk. Among
them you will find most interesting
groups; lusty youths, handsome Iasses,
fine and rugged ola men and women, and
some of the peachiest and prettiest chill
dTen in all England. To these the hop
gathering days have bright, genial, al
most social aspect. When the days
work is over, as they trail along the lanes
and highways to their village homes,
they form wonderfully pastoral group
ings, fitting so characterfully into the
mellow and reposeful kentish autumnal
landscape, that it is pity the near worlds
metropolis has no artist heart and hand
TO transfer to canvas their marvellous
simplicity and winsomeness.
Another class nula bering, all told, from
1900 TO 5000 souls, whose guest have al
ways been whenever visiting the hop
gardens of Kent, are the London and su-
burban gypsy van dwellers. | have pre-
viously written extendedly of this class.
Its members, living in vans or house
wagons of every conceivable description,
circle around and around the outer edge
of the great city, lowering like birds of
prey near race-tracks, outing resorts and
all places where crowds of the lowly may
gather. | am glad to say that while any
dukkering and dickering among the hop
garden throngs is never overlooked by
them, that they always come here for