For convenience of description it is best to divide them into 

 early, mid-season or main crop, and late varieties respectively. 



I. The early sorts as a rule possess red bines, yield a 

 comparatively small crop and the quality is generally inferior. They 

 are, however, useful to the grower in so far as they provide work 

 for the pickers, and tend to extend the season over a longer period 

 than would be the case if main crop varieties only were cultivated. 



The following are the chief early sorts grown in England : 

 (i.) Prolifics. This variety possesses red, rough bines, which 

 do not reach a great height, the hops themselves being 

 large and pointed. The petals are coarse and thick and 

 when ripe are poor in colour and coarse flavoured. It is 

 a variety grown only in localities where the best kinds 

 do not thrive satisfactorily. 

 The Meopham is a coarse, large, loose hop, somewhat similar 



to the Prolific. 



The Henham's Jones' Hop is somewhat better than either of 

 the above, though difficult to meet with true to name. 



(ii.) The Bramling Hop, in a sense, plays a similar role in 

 good hop districts, to that played by the Prolifics in 

 poorer soils. It is a good early sort, reddish in bine 

 with hops of medium size. The latter are a lengthened 

 oval shape, roundish in section, and of good flavour and 

 aroma. 



The Branding seeds freely, and male plants make their 

 appearance in gardens of this variety more frequently 

 than is the case with any other kind with which I am 

 acquainted. The fact that these male plants appear 

 chiefly at intervals of two years, after the garden is 

 cleared of them suggests that they are seedlings and 

 not sports. 



Amos' Early Bird is a good variety, very similar in its 

 character to the Bramling. 



Another early variety known as White's Early Hop has a pale 

 green bine, it is inferior in flavour to any of those 



