§ Captain Viscount WOLMERasked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he can state the approximate acreages under hops in England and America, respectively, for the years 1914 and 1918?
§ Mr. PROTHEROThe area under hops in England was 36,661 acres in 1914 and 15,666 acres in 1918. There are no official returns of the acreage under hops in the United States for 1914, but the area in that country in 1915 was 43,900 acres; and this year it is returned at 27,900 acres.
§ Viscount WOLMERasked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether the supply of hops for this year, together with available reserves, will be adequate for the brewing of beer in 1918–19; and, if not, whether he is prepared to allow hop-farmers to replant a proportion of gardens compulsorily grubbed?
§ Mr. PROTHEROMy information does not include statistics of the available reserves of hops in brewers' hands. I cannot, therefore, give a definite reply to the first part of the question. As regards the second part, I am considering, in conjunction with the Hop Control Committee, whether it is possible to allow some further planting of hops without running the risk of any material diminution of food crops.