§ SIR W. J. COLLINS (St. Pancras, W.)To ask the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, what was the amount of home-produce of hops during the year 1907–8; what was the average annual home-production of hops during the 255 last five years; how does this amount compare with that for the earliest quinquennium for which similar reliable figures are obtainable: and what was the average acreage under hops in England in the first and last quinquennium, respectively.
(Answered by Sir Edward Strachey.) The English crop of hops was 374,129 cwts. in 1907, and 470,761 cwts. in 1908. The annual average home production in the last five years (1904–8) was 413,770 cwts., and in the five years 1885–9 504,386 cwts. The average acreage under hops in England in 1885–9 was 64,276 acres, and in 1904–8 45,469 acres.