The cultivation of hops is in itself a more important industry than is generally supposed, but for the purpose of this chapter it is of so much less consequence than that of barley that it may be dismissed in very few words. A few years ago our own production was not sufficient to supply the brewers, and in 1872 we paid in round numbers $785,525.00 to foreign growers. The next year the import was $1,310,627.00 and in 1874 reached $1,303,686.00. Since that time the tide has turned and each of the past four years has shown an export to a considerable amount, the figures taken in the order of the years being as follows: 1875, $1,286,500.00; 1876, $1,348,521.00; 1877, $2,305,355.00; 1878, $2,152,873.00. The yearly consumption in this country is about 30,000,000 pounds, which after having served their purpose in the brewery, furnish an excellent manure, especially for potatoes. According to the last report of the United States Commissioner of Agriculture, there were in 1877, no less than 1,614,654 acres under cultivation with barley, and the product was 34,441,400 bushels at an average value of 70 cents a bushel, making a total value of $24,028,644.00 for the crop. The average yield to the acre was 21.3 bushels, and the average value to the acre $14.91, as against $10.72 for hay, $9.54 for corn, $9.25 for oats, $8.87 for rye and $15.08 for wheat. Only three crops, potatoes, tobacco and wheat yielded a higher value to the acre, and only six, wheat, corn, potatoes, oats, hay and cotton had a greater total value. Again, the northern latitudes produce the best barley and accordingly we find that in the six Eastern States, the average value to the bushel was a little over 78 cents. In these states the number of acres under cultivation was only 51,065, the product 986,900 bushels, the average value to the acre $15.11, being more than that of any other crop except potatoes. Notwithstanding all this, we do not even now raise enough for home consumption. The import of barley in 1877 was no less than 10,285,957 bushels at a value of $7,887,886.00 on which a duty of 20 cents per bushel was paid by the consumer, in addition to charges for freight and commission, all of which could and should have been saved to our people. Nearly eight million dollars is too large a sum to neglect when it lies at our very hand. [Illustration: ISRAEL PUTNAM, _The great American General, Brewer and Tavern Keeper at Brooklyn, Conn._ (1718-1790.) _See Page 27._]