234 THE HOP. 



price, say between October i and December i, have 

 averaged better returns than their speculating neigh- 

 bors. The former are still raising hops and are toler- 

 ably satisfied with the business; the latter have quit in 

 disgust, many of them, if they have not failed outright. 

 Growers who make every effort to put up a nice crop in 

 good shape are mostly disposed to sell within three or 

 four months of harvest at the going price. Their busi- 

 ness is to make a nice hop; they are willing to let the 

 men do the speculating wdiose business it is to 

 speculate. 



Aside from the matter of when to sell, about which 

 opinions mtist always differ, there is an opportunity for 

 growers to co-operate and greatly improve the method 

 of selling. Yet, right here the division of sentiment 

 as to the time of selling enters as a serious obstacle. 

 The hop, how^ever, is a commodity that can be readily 

 sold by sample. If now^ the growlers in each state or 

 each section would unite in a hop exchange, through 

 which their samples might be properly classified and 

 guaranteed, this would be a great step in advance. 

 These samples could be brought together at the office 

 or headquarters of the exchange, and would thus 

 attract the largest number of buyers. The sales could 

 be made either privately or by the auction system, at 

 stated hours or dates. By this method, the growers 

 would bring together the largest number of buyers, 

 thus creating a competition that w^ould result in the 

 best possible prices. This is quite different from the 

 present method, by which the average grower too often 

 feels obliged to accept whatever offer is made by the 

 buyer who happens to come along when the producer 

 feels like selling. 



Apart from the division of sentiment over the 

 time at which to sell, there should be no great obstacle 

 against forming and operating such hop growers' ex- 

 changes. With no crop can this method of co-opera- 



