The record-union., 1899-10-07

GoWer Hardres.)
By the end of this week all the hops
that are worth getting will be picked
Owing to the long drought and conse-.
quent rapid ripening of the old Cold
ings, fully one-half of the quantity
grown in this parish will be left TO
blow away, having gone too brown to
be worth getting.
(Pluckleyo
The hops in many gardens are not
keeping, but are fast going brown.
Lice are found to be present in many
of the cones, which are going black at
the core 1t is probable that some
acres may not be gathered at all.
(Rainham and Newington.)
The hop harvest in this district viii
be complete by the end of the week
The crop has been unprecedentedlS
heavy. and the general quality first
class, though the later pickings are
not SO bright as those Of the first Tort
| night or three weeks.
est. Stephen 's-Canterbury)
A great alteration has taken place
in the appearance of the gardens since
last week; a bright, healthy piece being
rare to see now, for red rust and yer
min have ruined the prospects or tuily
three-fourths of the unpicked grounds
1t is only in those that were washea
late that any colory samples of sound
hops can be got. This will make
choice hops decidedly hard to get pres
emily.
(Sittingbourne District)
Since last week the hops in this dis
trict have gone off rather rapidly, ana
it is certain that several acres will not
be picked, vermin having got into the
cones. Some pieces have also deterl-
grated through fogs and hot suns fol-
lowing. On the whole, however, the
crop is an enormous one and the quail
ity of the greater proportion of the
growths has rarely, if ever. been
eaualed. The picking of the remaining
portion is being hurried on in order 10
| secure the hops before they spoll.
(Teyham.l
The Bramlings and other early sorts
are nearly all picked, and Will average
from one to two cWt per acre more
than last year. There was some reu
mold in places A fresh attack OF YER
min arrived last week, otherwise the
later sorts would have kept fairly well.
1t will now develop into race between
the pickers and the vermin, and it re-
mains to be proved which will win
CWingham)
There are several pieces Of hops get
ting bit brown, but in most cases IL
is a genuine ripeness. l am glad 20
say there is no vermin, and the core
is perfectly bright There is large
quantity to pick yet, which Will take
weeks longer, if they will all keep un-
til we can pick them.
(Woodnesborough.
The hops in this parish are coming
down fairly we'll, and the yield prom
ises to come up to expectation Inc
foggy nights and the extreme neat py
day are causing a little anxiety to the
growers, so that every effort IS put
forward to gather them as quickly as
possible.
(Iid-Kent Parishes.)
In the Boxley district the picking is
drawing to a close, and we are glao
to state that practically the Wnole OF
the growths have been secured IN cap
ital condition, the hops having kept
their color well, and being almost en-
tirely free from vermin. The quallty
has never been excelled and the aver
age of the crop will, it is believed, work
out at fully ID cWt. per acre. Around
Maidstone the hops are going OH color
very fast at places, but on the Whole
the samples show good quality. The
picking is being pushed forward IN or
der to get the hops down before they
deteriorate to such an extent as to be
WORTHLESS. At Arlington Aylesford ana
Ditton there are still many acres to be
picked and it is feared that some
pieces vii have to be left, vermin and
red mold being in evidence. Down TO
the end of last week, however, the
pickings We're of first rate quality. At
both East and West Mailing the ver-
min attack has caused serious deterior-
alton, some Of the hops having gone
| black at the core. The average yield
up to the present week has been about
| 1t cWt. per acre, many grounds hay-
ing produced a ton to the acre. In the
Wrotham district one small plantation
has yielded nearly 2S cWt. per acre,
! and at Platt and Crouch the growths
are exceptionally large. In the Ton
| bridge district and at Capel, Paddock
Wood and Brenchley the attack of lice
| is proving very serious, and several
acres will probably not be picked at
all. In the district of MeesWorth and
/ West Peckham the hops generally
| speaking are keeping we'll, and con-
! tinue to come down fully up to the
estimate The Chatham and Rochester
district has yielded one Of the largest
and best crops ever grown there, but
some pieces are now going off. TAX
! ing Mid Kent as whole the quality
/ of the later piekings will not be nearly
SO good as those which were secured
prior to the 9Th inst.
(Surrey)
| Oxted-A severe aphis attack since
our last will no doubt affect the quality
of the hops that remained to be picked
after the visitation. Fortunately the
picking was in a forward state, and
! the bulk of the hops were secured pre-
yiously. Picking will be over this
week, in most cases by Tuesday or
| Wednesday.
(SuSSex.)
! Reports to hand from the principal
parishes agree in stating that the hops
are losing color in many instances, and
that vermin is found to be doing serious
mischief in some grounds. Since the
middle of Vast week many more big
groWths have been harvested, and the
quaAity as a rule is excellent. Every
possible effort is being made to get the
crop down expeditiously, but it is so
enormous and pickers are short, that
/ fears are entertained lest a large pro-
portion of the hops go off before they