242 OUR INSECT FRIENDS AND FOES 



which has helped to bring about this lamentable 

 state of things, and which has always governed 

 the cost of production, the quantity, quality, and 

 price of hops, is one of our insect foes, namely 

 the Hop Aphis, which, frequently appearing in 

 vast numbers in the hop gardens, causes the 

 most terrible havoc among the bines ; and the 

 cost of fighting this pest looms large among 

 the causes which render it impossible for the 

 English farmer to compete against the prices of 

 foreign, untaxed, imported hops. 



Some idea of the havoc which these insects 

 can cause may be gathered from the following 

 extract from the " Letters of Rusticus," and 

 which also throws an interesting light on the 

 size of the industry in the early years of the last 

 century: " In the year 1802, on the 14 of May, 

 the duty was laid at 100,000 ; the fly, however, 

 appearing pretty plentifully towards the end of 

 the month, it sank to 80,000; the fly increased, 

 and by the end of June the duty had gone down 

 to 60,000; by the end of July to 30,000; by the 

 end of August to 22,000; and by the end of 

 December to 14,000; the duty actually paid 

 this year was 15,463 los. $d. In 1825 the duty 

 commenced at 130,000, but, owing to the 

 excessive increase of the fly, had in July fallen 

 to 16,000 ; at the beginning of September it 

 rose to 29,000 ; but towards the end fell again 

 to 22,000; the amount paid was 24,317 os. nd. 

 In the following year the summer was remark- 

 ably dry and hot; we could hardly sleep of 

 nights with the sheets on ; the thermometer for 

 several nights continued above 70 Fahr. all the 



