jaS:f87L       Culture  of  Hops  in  the  United  States  253 
an  acid  reaction,  owing  to  free  hydrochloric  acid,  of  which,  unfortun- 
ately, it  had  not  been  entirely  deprived  before  dissolving  in  the  al- 
cohol. 
Being  unable,  for  want  of  time,  to  repeat  these  last  experiments,  I 
was  obliged  to  let  the  matter  rest  unfinished.  But  I  am  satisfied  that 
when  the  alkaloid  is  isolated,  this  will  be  the  proper  course  to  pursue. 
The  portion  remaining  undissolved  in  the  alcohol,  I  afterwards  found 
to  be  lime.  In  the  course  of  my  manipulations  I  found  much  resin> 
and  a  large  quantity  of  a  heavy  fixed  oil. 
These  experiments  were  conducted  in  the  laboratory  connected 
with  our  College,  where,  having  every  facility  and  the  best  of  advice, 
I  was  enabled  to  proceed  with  accuracy. 
ON  THE  CULTURE  OF  HOPS  TN  THE  UNITED  STATES. 
By  Emmet  Kannal. 
(From  the  Author's  Inaugural  Essay.) 
Hops  are  indigenous  to  Asia,  but  are  found  growing  wild  in 
Europe  and  were  cultivated  to  a  considerable  extent  in  Germany,  as 
far  back  as  the  ninth  century ;  they  were  first  introduced  into  Eng- 
land from  Flanders,  in  the  year  1510,  during  the  reign  of  King 
Henry  VIII.  The  young  tender  shoots  of  the  hop  vine,  especially 
in  the  beer  countries  of  Europe,  are  much  esteemed  as  an  article  of 
food  ;  they  are  taken  up  when  they  appear  just  above  the  ground, 
and  are  cooked  and  eaten  like  asparagus  or  greens,  being  generally 
served  up  as  one  of  the  delicacies  of  the  spring  season. 
When  first  introduced  into  London,  about  the  year  1524,  the  peo- 
ple were  very  much  prejudiced  against  the  use  of  hops,  so  much  so, 
that  they  petitioned  King  Henry  to  prohibit  their  use,  claiming  that 
they  would  spoil  the  taste  of  drinks,  and  endanger  the  lives  of  the 
people  ;  after  some  time  the  King  granted  their  petition,  and  issued 
an  injunction  prohibiting  the  use  of  hops  in  the  manufacture  of  ale 
and  beer  in  that  country. 
Hops  are  also  found  growing  wild  in  hedges  and  thickets  in  most 
parts  of  the  United  States,  abounding  in  the  valleys  of  the  Missouri 
and  Mississippi  Rivers.  Many  varieties  are  cultivated  very  exten- 
sively in  our  Eastern  and  Western  States,  but  the  kinds  known  as 
English  Cluster  and  Grape  Hops,  seem  to  be  most  generally  culti- 
