390 



Testing the Age of Eggs. 



Wars aav Hop Fair. 



The Board have received through the Foreign Office a copy 

 of a report, drawn up by Captain A. Murray, H.M. Consul- 

 General at Warsaw, upon the annual hop fair in that city. 



Captain Murray states that the fair, contrary to expecta- 

 tion, turned out badly for local hop growers. Shortly before 

 the fair prices were good, some early hops of best quality 

 changing hands at 102s. to 108s. per cwt. Reports as to the 

 world's production of hops indicated that the German crop 

 was much below the average, but that Hungary, England, 

 and America had large yields ; and that, although the world's 

 total supply was thus abundant, the amount of first quality 

 hops was expected to prove limited. The bulk of the Polish 

 crop, however, was late, and did not come up to promise, 

 being more or less spoilt by the weather. 



The quantity of hops exposed was nearly 4,000 cwts., as 

 compared with under 3,000 cwts. in 1900; but the fair is of 

 importance more on account of the fixation of prices than of 

 the amount of sales. But on this occasion practically no 

 business was done and no prices could -be established. A 

 great proportion of the hops brought to the fair had already 

 changed hands, but a considerable quantity were not read y 

 and were brought before being properly dried, which led to 

 several cases of heacing. These parcels were naturally ^sold 

 for what they were worth, at prices varying between 34s. and 

 68s. per cwt. This constituted all the business done, hardly 

 any hops in good condition changing hands. 



Various factors also contributed to a depression in the 

 brewing trade, which further reacted upon the sales. 



Testing the Age of Eggs. 



The Deutsche Landwirtschaftliche Prcssc of the 28th Sep- 

 tember last publishes an account of a method of deter- 

 mining the age of eggs, which has been tested and awarded 

 a medal by the Society of Saxon Poultry Breeders at Halle, 

 and has also received prizes elsewhere. 



