{0 
and 1908 practically all counties showed increases, but those in 
Norfolk, Lincoln and Cambridge were exceptionally heavy. 
Since 1908, however, the bulk of the increase in acreage Ii 
accounted for by these three counties, with Essex, Suffolk and 
Hampshire also showing substantial increases. 
(h) Hops. 
The acreage of hops grown in this country is now much less 
than it was fifty years ago, when 70,000 acres were under this 
crop, as compared with 26,256 acres in 1925. 
Kent has maintained its position as the chief hop-producing 
county and, with rather over 60 per cent. of the total area, has 
much the same proportion as formerly; but the general reduc- 
tion in acreage over the whole country has been much less pro- 
nounced in the western hop counties than in the south-eastern, 
Hereford and Worcester together now providing 24 per cent. of 
the hop acreage as compared with only 13 per cent. in 1880. 
That Kent should have retained pride of place regarding hop 
acreage is not surprising in view of the consistently heavier 
yields recorded in that county. During the past ten years the 
Kent hop fields have averaged some 12% cwt. per acre, while 
other counties range from 11 cwt. in Sussex and Hampshire to 
rather over 9 cwt. in Hereford. Owing to its high proportion 
of the total area and its high yield per acre, Kent produced in 
1925 some 70 per cent. of the 355,000 cwt. of hops grown in 
England. 
The decline in the hop acreage has been accompanied by an 
improvement in the yield per acre. Hence total production. 
although less than before the war, has not declined proportionately 
to the total area. The average annual production since 1886 
has been as follows :— 
Average annual 
production of 
Hops. 
(Thousands of cwt- 
459 
469 
397 
285 
311 
355 
The acreage of hops declined by nearly 60 per cent. between 
1886-90 and 1921-25, but so great has been the increase in the 
yield per acre that the total production fell by only 32 per cent: 
in the same period. 
(i) Flowers. 
From estimates made by the crop reporters of the area of 
crops other than vegetable or farm crops included under the 
heading of other crops in the agricultural returns and the special 
returns obtained. from growers of crops other than farm crops: