CULTURE AND PRODUCTION IN ENGLAND. 65 



the hop crop of 1872, estimated "the out-turn at about 

 350,000?. old duty, and this would give an average of from 

 10 J to 11 cwt. per acre all round. Kent and Sussex, with 

 Surrey and Hampshire, had some 56,000 acres between them, 

 perhaps more, and we must not forget that the Government 

 returns are neither complete nor reliable.* We place the acre- 

 age at 65,000fcfor all England, and some experienced Kent 

 farmers agree with our estimate nay, we have heard it set as 

 high as 70,000 ; but this is clearly too much. Now, we must 

 remember when weighing the crop upon the poles that there 

 are 1200 hills to the acre, each hill having three poles. 

 Well, let us consider that we have these heavily-laden poles, 

 some in Kent and Sussex 14 feet high, some in Farnham 

 16 feet and 18 feet out of the ground, and it may be stated 

 that one bushel to the hill (not pole) is not an extrava- 

 gant assessment. Then we come to the following figures : 

 80 bushels to the cwt. gives 15 cwt. per acre, 90 bushels 

 about 13 cwt. per acre, and 100 bushels 12 cwt. per acre. 

 There are some large tracts where this must have been ex- 

 ceeded, and, having studied this always difficult problem with 

 a calm and unbiassed mind, we consider that we are dealing 

 very reasonably when we place our idea of the old duty at the 

 350,OOOZ. quoted above." 



Opinions vary as to the extent of the yield of 1875. In 

 some places the hops which were much spoiled by mould 

 came down light ; while in others they were perfection itself, 



* Papers on the hop district of Farnham, by Mr. H. Evershed, may be 

 consulted in the ' Journal of the Koyal Agricultural Society of England,' 

 vol. xiv., p. 406 ; and on the acreage yield of hops in Hampshire, by the 

 Key. J. Wilkinson, ibid., vol. xxii., p. 303. 



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