Germany's Export of Hops. 



399 



The export of hops from Germany during the most 

 important period of the year, i.e., the last 

 port of Hops. four months of 1898, amounted to 92,142 

 cwts., compared with 127,615 cwts. in the 

 previous year. This decrease was owing to the diminished 

 export to England. From September to December, 189;, 

 this export amounted to 32,764 cwts., but in 1898 it only 

 amounted to 13,391 cwts. The Bavarian Central Hop 

 Association have petitioned the Bavarian Government for an 

 increase in the import duty on hops. This increase has often 

 been demanded by the hop-growers, and loud complaints have 

 been made in Parliament that the duty had been unfairly 

 reduced. The above-named union demand a tax of not less 

 than £5, and also a prohibition of the mixture of Bavarian 

 with other hops. The Bavarian Government, however, has 

 asked the opinion of the Nuremberg Chamber of Commerce, 

 with the following result : " The imposition of such a high 

 duty as that proposed is decidedly injurious to German hop- 

 growers, particularly as Great Britain, who has not hitherto 

 hampered German trade by an import duty, might be induced 

 by this means to do so." 



{Foreign Office Report, Annual Series, No. 2,344. Price 2|d.] 



Orchard pests have engaged the serious attention of Cali- 

 fornian horticulturists for a number of 

 ^ rC Cal^oriifa S in Y ears > anc ^ great success is said to have 

 been attained by the introduction of insects 

 which prey on the enemies of the fruit trees. It is claimed 

 that this State is freer from such foes than any other in the 

 United States. The "San Jose scale" has been almost 

 entirely annihilated by parasites, and Australian lady-birds 

 introduced through the agency of the Califfornian State 

 Board of Horticulture, have practically exterminated the 

 " cottony cushion scale." A like fate is overtaking the 

 "black scale" at the jaws of another species of Australian 

 lady-bird which has increased almost everywhere with 



