THE HOP MARKET.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 4, Issue 3, 15 March 1912, Page 196

THE HOP MARKET.

This year has opened with a good trade in hops, reports the High Commissioner under date of London, 12th January. Prices that early in the season showed considerable increase on those ruling twelve months previously have been steadily advancing. At the present'moment stocks are reported to be in small compass, and prices are very firm. The long, unusually hot summer, while- restricting the quantity, helped the quality, which, being exceptionally fine, caused a keen demand amongst • brewers to secure parcels. The result is that now there are very.few, if any, hops held in growers’ hands, and those who possess any stocks are asking a very high figure for them. • . r ' . The prospect for a continuance of high price is good. If there are good crops in New Zealand and any surplus is available after local requirements are satisfied, this season might be considered a good one in which to make shipments to London. Values at present are quoted in London at £l2 per cwt. for English -hops, and about £ll for. Californian, or about 50 per cent, higher than the prices realized last year.

It is estimated that Victoria (Australia) alone will ship this season 219,000 cases of fruit to London, and about 95,000 cases to Germany. The complete estimates for the rest of Australia are not yet available. The total number of cases exported from the Commonwealth will,, it is confidently estimated, be between 1,400,000 and 1,500,000 for the season. — T. W. Kirk.

The Bhuda kale, cow-kale, rape, and thousand-headed-kale (the first crops on very poor, newly , drained swamp at Ruakura) promise well. The recent dry weather showed the comparative drought-resisting qualities of these four forage-plants. In descending order they stand as follows : Thou-sand-headed kale, cow-kale, rape, Bhuda kale. The thousand-headed kale, although sown in the driest part of the paddock, has not shown the slightest sign of wilting, even in the hottest part of the day ; . while the- Bhuda kale, sown in the; dampest portion, showed signs of much distress. _ This result confirms the manager’s previous experience at Moumahaki Experimental Farm. If the thousand-headed kale had the feeding-value of rape it would undoubtedly (in Mr. McConnell’s opinion) be the most valuable fodder-plant of this class we possess. ' •' ; /’■ ■ ? , ■