Hop Cultivation. 
22(5 
changed for the nonce. Fine-flavoured hops full of aroma seem 
just now to be only required for pale ales and export ales, and 
for the comparatively small quantity of stock beer now brewed. 
For beer for quick draught common hops, it is said, are good 
enough. There has been a large demand for these of late, and they 
have made prices relatively higher than those of the finer sorts. 
Varieties of common hops have therefore been extensively planted 
even in districts producing hops of fine quality, and among them 
the Fuggle’s Golding, as cropping heavily, has been largely 
selected. Many planters, however, refuse to make any alteration 
in this respect, as they say that there will be a reaction, when the 
market is crowded with common hops. 
In East Kent the prevailing varieties are Goldings of several 
kinds, Brandings, Cobb’s Early Goldings, Petham Goldings, 
Canterbury, and Old Goldings. Brandings and other Goldings 
are still generally grown on the best land ; Whitebine Grapes and 
Grapes on that of not so good quality. 
In Mid Kent, Goldings, Brandings, Grapes, and Jones are 
principally cultivated. Fuggle’s Goldings are now being planted 
rather extensively. 
The Golding is undoubtedly the best English hop, having 
unsurpassed aroma and brewing value. Marshall writes : — 1 
The Golding is a sub-variety, 1 understand, of the Canterbury hop 
which was raised by a man still living — Mr. Golding, of the Mailing quarter 
of this district, Kent — who observed in his grounds a plant of extra- 
ordinary quality and productiveness, and marked it and propagated from it, 
and furnished his neighbours with cuttings. 
This variety has small compact cones, shaped somewhat like 
a filbert, of a light golden colour when ripe. The cones do not 
cluster together, but grow in bunches of two or three cones. 
Bramlings are Goldings of slightly different shape, coming earlier 
to pick, having valuable Golding attributes. White’s Early Gold- 
ing is the earliest hop with Golding characteristics, but it is 
rather delicate, and a shy bearer. 
The “ Grape ” and “ Whitebine Grape ” are very useful hardy 
sorts, having large cones growing to a very great size in some 
soils, and hanging in clusters like grapes. There are other kinds 
of Grapes, as the Farnham Whitebine, full of quality and a very 
good bearer. Cooper’s White is a rather early variety. May- 
field Grape is a hardy, useful, prolific kind. 
Buss’s Golding and Fuggle’s Golding have not many Golding 
qualities. They are rather coarse, coming to pick later than 
Goldings, but they are good cropping sorts, especially the 
1 The Rural Economy of the Southern Counties. By Mr. Marshall, 1798. 
