34 



Agricultural Journal of Victoria. 



considered tlie most valuable by brewers generally. Some growers 

 object to the male liop on quite different grounds. It is an early 

 grower, and gets abead of tbe female, and tbis luxuriant growth forms 

 a splendid breeding ground for the red spider, just as the early sorts 

 do. 



Resins in Hops. 



Hops are used in beer with several objects in view. Flavor and 

 aroma are very important, but they are not everything. The hops 

 must contain in addition a large quantity of the right kind of resins, 

 for to them are due the preservative action as well as a good deal of 

 the bitterness so much appreciated by conoisseurs. 



According to Hayduck, the hop-resins are of three kinds. The two 

 first are termed " soft," and are credited with a certain antiseptic 

 property preserving the beer from the attacks of bacteria. The third 

 variety known as " hard " is without such antiseptic action and con- 

 sidered of no value in brewing. 



By storing the hops under defective conditions and by age the 

 soft resins are changed into the third or hard resin and consequently 

 are thereby greatly impaired in value. Even where the air is excluded 

 a portion of the soft resin is gradually converted into the worthless 

 resin. In order to show how greatly hops vary with regard to the 

 value and amount of the resins contained in them, De Bavay collected 

 samples of the various hops in general use in Victoria and made an 

 analysis of them. 



The following analysis of average samples are supplied by him, all 

 but the figures relating to Victorian hops being taken from 

 Briant, F.C.S. :— 



Aroma and flavour of hops can only be tested so far by practical 

 trial, but apart from these, the hops containing the largest quantity of 

 soft resins are considered the best. 



Training the Hop. 



The two principal methods of training are the pole-work, in which 

 the old-fashioned poles are used, and the framework with wire or 

 string. Various materials are used for poles in Victoria, according to 

 the district, but generally gum-tree, such as stringybark or messmate. 



