( 723 = 457 ) 
THE CULTIVATION OF HOPS, 
FRUIT, AND VEGETABLES. 
CHAPTER 1. 
Hops. 
The hop-plant was introduced into England from Artois in the The hop first 
arly part of the sixteenth century. Its cultivation was not, biought into 
lowever, very extensive until the commencement of the i'504""'^ 
ighteenth century, at which period it appears that there were 
bout 12,000 acres planted with hops. 
The acreage was increased to about 25,000 acres between the Acreage of hop 
ears 1750 and 1780; and it is computed, from a calculation l-'^^^^io'^elToO 
lade from the returns of the hop duty, that there were about sinc^That^da'tc 
2,000 acres planted with hops at the end of the last century, 
ince that time the extent of the acreage has been very much 
xtended, and it is estimated that there are at this time over 
0,000 acres of hop-land in England.* The agricultural returns 
f Great Britain for 1877 show that there were 71,239 acres 
1 that year as against 69,999 acres in 1876. Before the duty 
ras taken off, in 1862, there were great fluctuations in the hop 
creage. After successive heavy crops, when prices were low, 
nd the payment of the duty pressed heavily upon the hop- 
rowers, important reductions were made in the number of acres, 
tfter short crops, when prices were remunerative, many acres 
i'ere planted. For example, between 1820 and 1823, nearly 
0,000 acres of hop-land were grubbed, as there had been five 
eavy crops in succession. In 1837 there were 56,000 acres, 
nd in 1840 only 44,000 acres of hop-land in England. In 
855 the acreage had been increased to 57,000 acres; but it 
'as reduced again to 45,000 acres in 1859, in consequence of a 
3ries of very large crops. Since the duty has been repealed 
* There are no hops cultivated in Wales nor in Scotland. 
