648 FIELD AND GARDEN PRODUCTS 



have been known to rate unsulphured hops as inferior, while sul- 

 phured hops from the same field were classed as choice. 



The use of sulphur improves the color by bleaching, injures the 

 micro-organisms present, and retards the deterioration of certain of 

 the desirable chemical constituents, thus improving the keeping 

 quality, and, according to a widespread belief, accelerates the drying. 

 The sulphur is usually burned beneath the kiln floor at the com- 

 mencement of drying. The usual practice is to use from 1 to 4 

 pounds of sulphur for each 100 pounds of undried hops. The action 

 of the sulphur is most energetic while the hops are yet fresh and 

 damp. Only refined sulphur of guaranteed purity should be used, 

 as the crude sort usually contains impurities which may injure the 

 quality of the hops. Certain of these impurities will become concen- 

 trated in the lower layers of hops on the kiln floor, and after these 

 hops are baled some bales may show an unusually high percentage 

 of these impurities. The best results are obtained with what is 

 known commercially as rock sulphur. Roll sulphur differs from 

 this only in the form in which it is cast and has no greater bleaching 

 power. 



MARKETING. 



The most serious problem confronting the hop grower is how 

 to market his product at a figure which will give a fair return for in- 

 vestment and labor. Owing in part to great fluctuations in prices, 

 hop growing from a business point of view is extremely variable and 

 uncertain. The state of the market is determined largely by the 

 stock of hops held in storage from the previous year, by the crop 

 conditions at home and abroad during the current year, and by the 

 probable demand as judged from a comparison of the two conditions 

 just mentioned. Wnile the state of the market is conditioned by 

 these three factors, it is influenced heavily by the dealers, hop mer- 

 chants, or middlemen who stand between grower and consumer. 



Only a small percentage of hop growers sell direct to consum- 

 ers, so the bulk of the trade passes through the hands of middlemen. 

 Sales may be made to the large dealer direct through his buyers or 

 to the local dealer, who in turn sells to the large dealer; or growers 

 may sell through a commission merchant who may act as agent for 

 both grower and consumer. The broker, or factor, serves as a go- 

 between for dealers or for dealer and consumer. All these midoTle- 

 men occupy a recognized legitimate place in the trade so long as they 

 confine their operations to buying and selling at market prices as 

 fixed by supply and demand and depend for their profits upon the 

 favorable terms which they may be able to make in the regular 

 course of trading. Under existing conditions the hop crop could not 

 be marketed without the middlemen. Growers with small holdings 

 remote from consumers could scarcely find a market for their prod- 

 uct even if the difficulties involved in arranging credit were over- 

 come. The grower is usually in need of money and demands imme- 

 diate payment ; on the other hand, the consumer may not have funds 

 available to pay cash for his hops at the time when it is necessary to 

 make the purchase. The dealer solves the difficulty by relieving the 

 grower of his stock and making cash payment therefor or a suitable 



