Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1910-02-22
HAS DIFFERENT VIEW
DALLAS HOP GROWER CRITI-
CISES HORST LETTER.
Says Pacific Coast Hops Have Never
Sold Higher in England Than
English Product.

|
Abel Uglow, the well-known hop
raiser and capitalist of this city, is one
grower who is not deeply impressed
by the letter recently written by e.
Clements Horst to the hop farmers of
Oregon and printed in the Observer of
last Tuesday. Not only does Mr.. Uglow
refuse to accept the advice offered by
Mr.. Horst, but with characteristic
frankness he does not hesitate to pro-
nounce many of the New York mans
assertions as nothing more than hum
bug.
The statement to which Mr.. Uglow
takes the most radical exception is the
one to the effect that 'in the years
1906, 1906, 1907 and 1908, the coast
hops brought on an average three
cents higher than did the English
hops" This, he declares is not in ac-
cordance with the facts.
IF Pacific Coast hops have ever
sold at higher price in England than
the English hops, I have never heard
of it," said Mr.. Uglow yesterday 1T
is true" he continued, that coast
hops are always in demand in the
English market and that English
brewers fully realize their good quail
tiles, but it is not true that they are
willing to pay more for a coast hop
than for the home product Neither
is it true that they are willing to pay
as much for Pacifics as for German
and Bavarian hops. Just why this is
so, am unable to say, but it may be
a fact, as it is sometimes claimed,
that they find the European hop SUI
perior in the manufacture of certain
grades of beer, and it is possible that
loyalty to home industry and a GER
tain feeling of prejudice against the
product of a New World country has
something to do with it. One thing is
certain: If England has a large crop,
her brewers will buy as few coast hops
as possible, and at such times the
price of the coast hop is correspond
ingly low. But the English brewer at
all times demands certain quantity of
Pacifics, and if the crop on the coast
is short, the price may very nearly
approach that of the English hop,
grade for grade"
"In the year 1901" said Mr.. Uglow,
IT went to London, taking with me
$4,000 worth of hops consigned to
myself. While in England on that trip
L made a careful study of the market,
;,,t Of ba i,,o7, nrta
as possible, and also visited the hop
fields in Kent. During my visit l called
on George Bird a number of times and
had several talks with him. also visit
ed his warehouses and inspected many
samples of English hops. did not
but found the English samples to be
a smooth, fine, silky hop. The English
buyers claimed that the best grade
of English hops was superior to the
best grade of Pacifics, but whether
this claim is true, am unable to
say.
my visit to the growing district
taught me that the English farmers
dry much the same as we do, except
that they dry in small circular kilns.
These kilns range in diameter from
~ to "a feet. The largest house !
saw was "a feet in diameter. 1t will
therefore be seen that it would re-
quire four or five English kilns to do
the work of one of ours. This method
of drying is probably in no way su-
perior to our own, but 1t is certain
that the English grower far eXcels us
in the care taken in picking and
handling his crop, and it is possible
that this has something to do with the
higher prices paid by English dealers
for his product
II notice further in Mr.. Horst's let
ter that he talks of advertising as
being our only means of salvation in
securing better prices for our crop
abroad. In this connection, I desire to
say that / visited practically every
brewer, large and small, during my
stay in London, and not one was found
who did not know all. about Pacific
Coast hops, and especially Oregon
hops. 1 am honestly of the opinion
that these brewers know as much
about the quality of our hops as we
do-and possibly more than most of
us do.
Mr.. Horst suggests that ii might be
a good plan for American growers toI
incur the slight expense of furnishing
these brewers with a chemical analy-
sis of our hops. If American hops
brought a higher price in England for
four consecutive years than did the
English hops, as he claims, what pos
sible benefit could be gained by such
analysis? Such conflicting statements
and advice by Mr.. Horst show either
his insincerity or his ignorance of the
subject under discussion. / submit
that in either event, his suggestions
are emitted to be given little weight or
serious consideration by the coast
growers. The fact is, no brewer cares
a snap of his finger for any chemists
test. Every brewer is his own tester.
And it must be a very small brewer in
England who knows nothing Of the
quality Of American hops. Any talk
to the contrary by Mr.. Horst is the
veriest humbug. and he knows It, The
growers OF the Pacific Coast will well
come any advice or suggestions from
any quarter that will aid them in Sc
curing a better price for their hops,
but Mr.. Horst will have to put up a
better argument than that contained
in his recent letters If he expects his
suggestions to meet with the serious
consideration Of the oregon hop rails