The hop has been known in Britain for many centuries, but it was not until the beginning of the sixteenth century that there was any attempt to cultivate the plant seriously. At first the plant suffered considerable prejudice, becoming known as the 'wicked weed', and for a
time its use was banned in brewing. Many thought that the hop could not be successfully grown in Britain but the early planters did succeed and from those days hops have played no small part in the country's social history, for they quickly transformed the thick ale of old England into bright beer.
No other branch of agriculture has required such intensive use of labour. No
other crop was so demanding of human skills, and no other crop caused more
anxiety, profit or financial ruin to growers. For many people hop culture
culminated in September, when thousands of pickers from all over Britain
descended into the hop growing areas; but 'hopping' was something more than
simply harvesting a farm crop - it was a social phenomenon which lasted several
centuries and will never be forgotten.
This book examines the history of the hop from
the earliest times to the present day, describing the traditional tools of the
trade, the oasts, the growers, the pickers and all those whose versatile skills
have through the centuries made the British hop industry a success.
Contents:
1. Introduction
2. The history of hop growing in Britain
3. Hop picking
4. Drying the hops
5. Other uses for hops
6. Glossary
Index
