152 THE EXETER ROAD 



the Blackmore and ' Blue A^iiiney ' cheeses of this aud 

 the adjoining counties. London dealers still attend 

 the Hop Fair, in which many thousands of pounds' 

 worth of hops change hands to the drinking of much 

 champagne, brought on to the ground by the cart- 

 load, as in the brave days of yore. There are two 

 distinct hop markets, the Farnham Eow and the 

 Country Side. Hops from Farnham, Bentley, Peters- 

 field, Liphook, and other neighbouring places find a 

 ready market. They are sold more exclusively by 

 sample than formerly, and so only a few ' pockets,' 

 as the tightly packed sacks are named, are visible. 

 Round them dealers may be seen, rubbing the hops 

 in their hands and smelling; them w^ith a knowino- 

 look, while the vendor cuts another sample out of the 

 pocket for the next likely customer. He does this 

 with a singular steel instrument called a ' sample 

 drawer.' First a sharp and long - bladed knife is 

 thrust into the hard mass, and two sides cut, and 

 then the broad-bladed ' drawer ' driven in and screwed 

 tight, bringing out a compact square of hops to be 

 tested. 



By nine o'clock every night all the booths and 

 stalls have to be closed, and stillness reigns over the 

 scene, save for the cough of the sheep, the occasional 

 lowino- of the cattle, or the fretful whinnvino- of a 

 wakeful horse. x4.nd when the last day of the Fair is 

 done, the booths are all shut up and deserted, and 

 desolation reigns again for a year. 



