Yesterday's Kentish Observer says:- The hop harvest may now fairly be called general, having become so during the present week. Finer weather has prevailed since Monday, and good progress has been made with the picking. There is a general complaint that the hops come down lighter than had been estimated, but in the favoured parishes the yield is very satisfactory, though not, of course, heavy as compared with the quantities grown upon the same grounds in some previous good years. The damage done by mould is very serious, and many plantations that looked like growing a full half average have collapsed during the last few days. Grave apprehensions are felt for the later kinds, which do not develop at all encouragingly, warmer weather being required for them. There is a lot of new hope already at market, consisting of the early sorts, the quality of which for the most part is very inferior, so that buyers do not give it much attention. They will probably be in no hurry to purchase until the best hops come on the market. These will be in demand, and will fetch good prices - some people think from £10 to £13 per cwt. (i.e. hundredweight); the inferior sorts, it is predicted, will range down as low as £3. Of course this is all a surmise at present, and there is no telling in advance what buyers may be inclined to do. But those planters who do happen to grow sound, healthy hope may rest assured of a good market at far higher prices than they have made in recent years.
Up to a late hour last night no arrest had been made in connexion with the Whitechapel murder.
