360 
Cultivation and Management of Hops. 
tops were too palpably bad, tlie growers bided their time, waiting 
for a blight and extravagant prices for everything like hops. 
These were the halcyon days of duties, before America and 
Bavaria were dreamed of qua hop-growing countries in the phi- 
losophy of hop-growers, when there were only about 44,000 acres 
lo supply the world, when each noted " growth " was as eagerly 
bought up as the grand criis of Chateaux Margaux and La Tour. 
Hops are not only picked in much less time, but they are much 
better picked. More care is taken to keep the leaves from them, 
and to pick them singly. As leaves and branches spoil the 
" sample," great pains are taken in East Kent and Farnham to 
have the hops picked well, and " Mid " Kent and the other dis- 
tricts have certainly followed their example lately in some 
degree. An improved " bin," or portable frame, to which a cloth 
is fastened for picking hops into, is coming into general use. 
The improvement in this consists in its being made so as to fold 
up, and may thus be easily carried by one man in moving from 
ground to ground, besides taking up much less room in waggons 
or carts than the old-fashioned, stiff, unwieldy frame. 
Attempts are being made by a Society * to establish a system 
of agency for the better regulation of the supply of hop-pickers in 
Mid Kent, and to bring about an improvement in their lodging- 
accommodation, and in its general sanitary arrangements. At 
present a certain number of persons, some time before hopping, 
flock down to the hop districts upon the chance of being engaged 
for picking. They fill the casual wards of the Unions in these 
districts nightly until picking commences ; and they are, to all 
intents and purposes, vagrants until then. A large majority of the 
hop-growers, however, have their regular hoppers, to whom they 
communicate the time when their picking will commence. The 
Society has not yet done much, owing to the bad hop-crops of 
the last few years ; but, in one or two instances, it has promptly 
found pickers to take the place of others upon strike ; and it is 
probable that, if it is well supported, it will be the means of 
introducing a better and more orderly class of pickers, who will 
take more pains and care in picking the hops, and over whom the 
growers will have more control than at present. In the Farn- 
ham hop district the pickers are, in most cases, collected for the 
growers by agents, who are paid about 2d. per head. 
The lodging accommodation is, on the whole, far better than it 
was twenty years ago, especially upon large plantations. Upon 
most of these now there are brick and tile built dwellings, water- 
tight and warm, with places for cooking, and, in some cases, 
* The Society for the Employment and Improved Lodging of the Hop-Pickers. 
President, the Earl of liomney; Secretary, the Kev. J. Y. Stratton, Ditton, 
Maidstone. 
