The record-union., 1899-10-07
HOP HARVEST
In ENGLAND.

The following reports on the growth
Of hops in the English plantations for
the week ending Wednesday, September
20, 1899, are furnished by THE Kentish
Observer" of Canterbury, Kent, and
presented with the compliments of M.
H. burst of AZ Effra Road, Brixton, s.
w. London, resident agent in England
for the burst Bear River Hops of Yuba
! County, CAL These reports are fur
nished gratuitously, and in the hope
that they will be of service in keeping
the growers advised of the crop pros
poets abroad.
The ingathering is approaching COM
pletion in many parishes, where there
has been a good supply of pickers from
the commencement, but in other places,
even with additional hands put on since
the early part of last week, the work
will continue down to the end Of the
month, and, should the late hops keep,
will extend into October This gives
an idea of the enormous growth of hops
"a crop eaualing, it is now believed,
that of 1895. Unfortunately, as We re-
ported last Thursday, a considerable
proportion of the acreage has, since
about the 10th instant, been undergoing
deterioration through a sudden devel-
opment of lice and also the spread of
red mold. The effect of this is that in
good many grounds large quantities
OF hops will not be picked.
The attack of vermin in a serious
form is by no means so general as was
alleged in paragraph published in the
early part of last week in some of the
| London newspapers. But at places it
has done great mischief, the lice having
/ got into the hops and turned them
black at the core and we hear again
this week of many pieces being threat
ened with the same disaster. The show
ers at the end of the week and again
on Monday, with the cooler weather,
have been all in favor of the hops that
remain to be picked, and generally
speaking they are found to be keeping
satisfactorily.
Although, as already indicated, many
samples Of the later pickings will show
diseoloration and disease, we can state
positively from personal knowledge and
the most careful investigation that g
large proportion of the growths now in
| course of ingathering will be of very
line quality, while even the brown SAM
pies show, as many yet to come will
show, a percentage of lupulin far in
excess of the best qualities grown last
year. 1t is satisfactory to learn that
the market is improving both in the
extent of the demand and in prices The
quotations for choice and coloury hops
are higher than last week, and will, it
is expected, show a substantial further
advance shortly. The fact that there
will be a large proportion of brown
and low class samples must necessarily
have the effect of advancing the values
of coloury and sound growths. which
should not be parted with for the pres
ent
A large number of splendid samples
We're shown at the Canterbury Office
| OF Messrs. Vests, Jones 2 Whitehead
on Saturday, and experts were unani-
nous in their opinion that the quality
of the East Kent crop so far as the
picking had proceeded, is the highest
that has been reached for many years.
ashford District.)
! Picking proceeds without let or him
I dranee, but hardly so fast as some
growers would like, for the later hops
do not stand we'll The sensational re-
ports as to the hundreds OF acres beinC
left to blow away are not true as re-
CARDS this locality, for unless some
thing fresh happens there is not likely
TO be one acre speilt within a pretty
Wide area. Red mold certainly causes
some anxiety, andAsome of the samples
VIII be damaged, sufficiently to give
buyers a handle they will readily use in
negotiations to lower the prices. but
that is what happens nearly every year.
The beginning of the marketing season
is most disappointing, and one grower
who had beautiful coloury sample
which he hoped to get f6 for, was Of
fere IA los, much to his disgust. But
| the trade has scarcely begun as yet.
and holders of bright samples will not
be easily tempted.
(Boughton and Neighborhood.)
Ihe hops have lost color consider
ably since last week, and picking is
progressing slowly, and will hardly be
completed during the present month
The quality is sound.
Bindenden)
Ihe picking going on slowly. More
plckers are wanted. Hops are going
on, and full of lice at places. 1t is
pretty certain the best hops have been
picked. The remainder will be off color
ana 1t is doubtful if all will get picked
Growers will be doing wrong to sell
their hops at the low prices now being
offered
Bridge and Neighborhood)
some hops are losing color, but the
majority are keeping well. We have
not the vermin about which we hear
SO much in other parts of the county.
Canterbury Parishes)
Picking is still going on, though the
bulk of the crop is down The cooler
weather is helping the sound hops to
keep, and the showers have been bene-
nelai to the late sorts. Deterioration
mas rendered a good many of the hops
worthless and these will not be picked.
Where 1T is only loss of color, however.
they are of excellent quality. and make
good samples.
(Chilham@
The crop of hops in this parish comes
down more in quantity than they were
called and where healthy they are in
hrst-rate condition for picking. but
Where lice have made their appearance
they will not be worth picking. I hear
OF several acres being left unpicked in
this parish. There will be from eight
TO twelve days more to gather if they
keep long enough.
(F'aversham District.)
1t is doubtful whether the whole or
the crop in this district will be picked,
as discoloration and deterioration have
set in, besides which lice have got into
| the hops at places. Many heavy and
| splendid growths have already been