6 



AGEICULTUEE. 



largely produced in the central counties of the 

 State of New York than elsewhere, is deserv- 

 ing of attention from the thorough cultivation 

 necessary to produce the crop, and its import- 

 ance as an article of export. There were a 

 few hops grown in every State in the Union 

 except Florida in 1859, and in every territory 

 except Dacotah and New Mexico, hut the only 

 States which reported over 100 bales=20,000 

 pounds, were Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Mas- 

 sachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, 

 Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Wisconsin. Of 

 these New York was by far the largest pro- 

 ducer, its yield being 9,671,931 pounds, while 

 the aggregate production of the country was 

 only 10,991,996 pounds. Vermont which came 

 next had 638,677 pounds, and Wisconsin, New 

 Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine were the 

 only other States which produced 100,000 

 pounds or anywhere near the quantity. In 

 New York, Otsego County has taken the lead 

 in hop culture, reporting in 1859, 3,507,069 

 pounds, Madison following with 1,520,657 

 pounds, and Schoharie, with 1,441,648. Onei- 

 da, Herkimer, Montgomery, Chenango, Onta- 

 rio, Franklin, and St. Lawrence, were the only 

 other counties which produced any considerable 

 quantity of hops in that year. 



The New England Hop District, which pro- 

 duced in 1859 about 1,000,000 pounds, in- 

 cludes those counties of Vermont, New Hamp- 

 shire, Maine, and Massachusetts, lying on or 

 near the upper waters of the Connecticut Eiver 

 and its affluents. The hops from this source, 

 distinguished in the New York market as 

 " Eastern " Hops, while those from central 

 New York and elsewhere rank as "Western," 

 ripen earlier, are smaller, and of milder flavor 

 than the Western, and do not command so high 

 a price as the latter. The advance in the pro- 

 duction of this crop has been remarkable. It 

 was first enumerated in the census of 1840, 

 when the quantity produced was stated at 

 6,000 bales, or about 1,200,000 pounds. Inl850 

 the product had increased to 17,000 bales, or 

 about 3,400,000 pounds; in 1860, as we have 

 seen, it was 55,000 bales, or about 11,000,000 

 pounds. In 1862 it reached 80,000 bales, or 

 16,000,000 pounds, a figure which, owing to the 

 diseases to which it has been subject, it has 

 never since attained. In 1863 it fell off to 

 65,000 bales, or 13,000,000 pounds, much of the 

 crop being of inferior quality. In 1864 it -was 

 affected by the aphis or plant louse, and to some 

 extent by the mould also, and not more than 

 45,000 bales came to market. The product of 

 1865 was good, except in the Hop District of 

 Kew York, where it was again and still more 

 seriously affected by the aphis. 



The crop is quite as variable and uncertain in 

 Great Britain as in the United States ; and when 

 the crop fails there either partially or wholly, 

 the brewers import largely from other coun- 

 tries whatever the price, while in favorable 

 years their importation is very small. In 1859 

 only 248,640 pounds were imported into Great 



Britain, while in 1861 the importation was 

 16,707,712 pounds, or almost seventy times as 

 much, and in 1863 about the same amount. 

 There is a home demand for from 8,000,000 to 

 10,000,000 pounds in the United States, yet in 

 1861, 8,835,837 pounds were exported, at about 

 twenty cents per pound, while the preceding year 

 exports were only 273,257 pounds. The prices 

 have fluctuated from four to ten cents a pound 

 in 1855-1858, to thirty-five to sixty cents in 

 1865. The hop can be grown in ordinary times 

 and at the usual price of labor for from twelve 

 to fifteen cents per pound. 



The hop requires a deep, well-pulverized, and 

 highly fertile soil for its successful cultivation. 

 If the subsoil is clay it should be thoroughly 

 underdrained. Good wheat lands are generally 

 good hop lands, though the hop requires more 

 silica, lime, and sulphuric acid and less magnesia 

 and phosphoric acid than wheat. It is an ex- 

 hausting crop, and in most sections requires 

 frequent and liberal administration of manures, 

 especially plaster of Paris, guano, and the like. 

 The plants are usually set about seven feet 

 apart each way, giving not far from 900 plants 

 to the acre. Two poles, if they are sixteen or 

 eighteen feet in height, are set for each hill, and 

 three if they are not more than twelve or four- 

 teen feet. These are usually spread apart some- 

 what at the top. Two vines or plants are usually 

 left to grow for each pole, though if there is dan- 

 ger from the wire worm it is better to reserve 

 more till this danger is past. They are usually 

 propagated from cuttings, as the hops grown 

 from the seed are of uncertain quality. The 

 plants should be selected about one male to 

 fifty female plants. The crop is usually best in 

 the third or fourth year after planting, though 

 it yields moderately before that time. It re- 

 quires careful and thorough tillage, the Aveeds 

 being removed and the soil kept well pulver- 

 ized. The hop yard must be so located as to be 

 protected from high and violent winds, yet 

 should be open to the sun and a free circulation 

 of air. The cost of a hop yard which will bear 

 freely for ten years, is from $400 to $500 per 

 acre, including plants, poles, manure, etc. The 

 processes of picking, drying, and packing the 

 hops are very accurately described by Mr. 

 Eouse, of Oneida County, N. Y., in the Patent 

 Office Eeport for 1853 : 



" The hops having reached maturity, or 

 nearly so, the operation of picking commences. 

 This, to have the fruit in full perfection, should 

 not be done until it is ripe ; at which time the 

 seed will be found to have changed from a 

 bright straw color to a pale brown, and will 

 emit a fragrant smell. With us hops are usu- 

 ally ripe about the 5th of September ; but as it 

 is better they should be harvested rather green 

 than be permitted to stand till over-ripe, liable 

 to be injured by the early frosts, as they cannot 

 all be gathered at once, it is necessary in largo 

 fields to commence somewhat earlier usually 

 about the first of September in order that the 

 work may be completed in season. The pick- 



