220 THE HOP. 



Hops in the trade are described and designated in 

 three principal terms: 



1. By their relative quality for a given country or 

 section. 



2. By the year of their production. 



3. By the country or section w^here grown. 

 These three terms are connected as follov^s: 



"Choice 1898 Pacifies," representing as just stated, 

 quality, year and locality. Under such designations a 

 large proportion of the world's hop crop is bought and 

 sold for immediate or future delivery, and of hops 

 already grown and hops to be grown during the follow- 

 ing year or term of years. 



The quality is usually described in five so-called 

 grades, namely: "Fancy," "Choice," "Prime," "Medi- 

 um," and "Common." "Fancy" represents the very 

 finest quality, or best selections from "Choice." 

 "Choice" represents the first average quality, "Prime" 

 the next lower average, then "Medium" and finally 

 "Common," which is the lowest average quality. 



All hops may be designated in the above grades, 

 excepting such hops as are heated or are liable to heat, 

 or rot, on account of insufficient drying. This class of 

 hops is called unmerchantable and is handled on its 

 merits — or rather its demerits — and is never bought 

 or sold on grade. 



The year of production is described by using either 

 the year in figures, or using "new crop," or "old crop," 

 or "old olds," as the case may be. 



The country or section is designated as, "Ameri- 

 can," "English," "Germans," "Belgiums," etc., or by 

 any of their respective subdivisions. These subdivi- 

 sions may be carried down as far as one pleases, say to 

 the state, county, town br other described district. As 

 illustrating this it may be said that a hop grown near 

 Healdsburg, California, would be known in the hop 

 trade under any of the following localities, namely: 



