In the seventeenth century hop growing was not nearly so common in England as in the preceding, when Harrison had said, in his Description of Britain, ’there are few farmers or occupiers in the country which have not gardens and hops growing of their own, and those far better than do come from Flanders.’  There seems, indeed, to have been a prejudice against the hop; Worlidge[341] says it was esteemed an unwholesome herb for the use it was usually put to, ’which may also be supplied with several other wholesome and better herbs.’  John Evelyn was very much against them, probably because he was such an advocate of cider:  ‘It is little more than an age,’ he says, ’since hopps transmuted our wholesome ale into beer, which doubtless much altered our constitutions.  That one ingredient, by some not unworthily suspected, preserving drink indeed, and so by custom made agreeable, yet repaying the pleasure with tormenting diseases, and a shorter life, may deservedly abate our fondness for it, especially if with this be considered likewise the casualties in planting it, as seldom succeeding more than once in three years.’[342] The City of London petitioned against hops as spoiling the taste of drink.

Yet its cultivation is said to have advanced the price of land to L40, L50, and sometimes L100 an acre, the latter an almost incredible price if we consider the value of money then.  There were not enough planted to serve the kingdom, and Flemish hops had to be imported, though not nearly so good as English.  A great deal of dishonesty, moreover, was shown by the foreign importers, so that in 1603 a statute (1 Jac.  I, c. 18) was passed against the ‘false packinge of forreine hops,’ by which it appears that the sacks were filled up with leaves, stalks, powder, sand, straw, wood, and even soil, for increasing the weight, by which English growers it is said lost L20,000 a year.  Such hops were to be forfeited, and brewers using them were to forfeit their value.  The chief cause of their decrease was that few farmers would take the trouble and care required to grow them, in spite of the often excellent prices, which at Winchester at this date averaged from 50s. to 80s. a cwt., sometimes, however, reaching over 200s., as in 1665 and 1687, though then as now they were subject to great fluctuations, and in 1691 were only 31s.  Many, too, were discouraged by the fact ’they are the most of any plant that grows subject to the various mutations of the air, mildews sometimes totally destroying them,’ no doubt an allusion to the aphis blight.  Hop yards were often protected at this early date by hedges of tall trees, usually ash or poplar, the elm being disapproved of as contracting mildews.  Markham[343] says that Hertfordshire then contained as good hops as he had seen anywhere, and there the custom was 250 hills to every rood, ’and every hill will bear 2-1/2 lb., worth on an average 4 nobles a cwt. (a noble = 6s. 8d.);’ hills were to be 6 ft. apart at least, poles 16 to 18 ft. long and 9 or 10 inches in circumference at the butt, of ash, oak, beech, alder, maple or willow.