THE CHANCES THAT PASS

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 722, 22 January 1910, Page 8

THE CHANCES THAT PASS

V::^XINHEEpEi)::BdpM'-i^HOPS; y : ; ;^Tue;'fact'about .ifarming,vas 'about .all human-.affairs,,-seems -to• :bo : that■ ,we do just : i\s•• our.-fathers .did; .'and jnst grow .the things'that .our "fathers grow.Quo, Wonders ..what would - happen if some I farmerj-a -.-: well-iestablished . farmer" for' I our chorished traditions^pyerboard-.'and' just, struct but a : :little.; yHopsj;.for, instance? •■'. ..., '■.' ■i'Nelson'district'.lsas 1 a ; monopoly; of the .;hop-Krpwing.::;industr}-, -.butr why 'this i .should-.bo so it islard .to/explaini'.foT ■there:. .-.mustvbe \: many. -■ other'. localities whero can Xbs';:grown~ quite as successfully.v;.iPerhapS'the."question is' one of .profit arid.loss. may have been the' conditions of 'thoh'on trade'in the.'past; .there'is-no donbt'-but-that just .now, there'ia.a great" scarcity. ' Ad--.vices.from London;state that'it is "gener- : ■ ally;,rhdniitted.bj-.''tlio-trade : ttat : :'fully -three-fourths, of- the neVAops had passed out,;of growers'/hands, while many experte declare'that not more than 10,000 to 15,000 packets,: remain; unsold. A. moderate -estimate; of : the-.yearlings, and olds ■that; were , .on hand brought ■ the, total . hops -marketable- to not- more ■'than\ l so,ooo; packets', ■.or equal to' 80,000 .cwt. , ;. Imports ..from" the, Continent-might. safely -be' excluded from the calculation/ while;'.-reliable - information > was to th'e effect.that hotmoro than:7s,ooocwt. could, be; counted- upon as being imported from. iAmerica.■■..Therefore,-'the;total supplies available couldiinot, mticli : exceed 150,000 cwt,' wWch'did not represent the;normal consumption, of; fonV; months. -It was al,most .impossible for'toe markets .to be- ■ come'weaker, and in; spite, of the dullness of trade, prices had remained consistently .firm-, throughout; ;.;: ';- : ..";,- A.; , " '■:■■•■' ■■."•"■■. ", i^Keportsffrom'America'wflTe'to the effect ■that; T Paci£o,Coast: hops . were'practically ■: out of .growers':hands, 'and• tjhat'Bo.per ; cent.' of :Neiy.'Yorlc Statehad'b'oen bought \np,(; ■ it: was , - reckoned , that tlife 1909 crop, : witli : :the adclition; stocks and the" could, not :exceed :290,000,,:ba1e5,-of ■■B-hich- 200,000 bales were required for -local; consumption.. ; Ac-.' .cording;to;these -figures,;it. would appear at first sight, thifr a surplus of .90,000 bales iwdiJd'.be-available;for.exportation/ .But •it. : / was.': eshinated'■'- that, .brewore- , iii , the .■Ciiited;States; f 6f, America'would.certainly ■hbld'pn; to at 'least. 50,000 "bales; as:stock' to;. carry vthem. on, for.three,months or , so;;■ therefore,-: England; could -not ;• expect to.impbrt.fromvAmerica.more than 75,000 cwt;:-V,v- : ;-:-.;. ; :'-;-:>!.-:. ; -"'. : ''v-i'.r. ,, -- .-. v, ■;'