Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1868-01-21
ss zSE VOL. 10, NO. 333.

sS zsF Vol. 80, NO. 81
to add that they should not come
nearer than four feet to any wood, as
the high temperature maintained fol
hours would render them dangerous
The hop,press may be of any re-
quired construction for pressing the
hops into bales. The Harris press,
costing $50, is in general use here,
and seems to ne to be u very simple
and powerful machine, and as cheap
a one as can be made to do the ork,
Some one ia this vicinity has the
right 10 manufacture it, and [ pres
sumo any one here can direct to whom
an order for one should be sent. A
press can be owned by two or three
growers jointly.
The numbor Of hop>boxes which
should be provided depends upon
the number Of pickers to be employ
ed; for there must DO one for each
picker. The hop box is generally
estimated 70 contain seven bushels;
bnt the one legalized BY statute il
this state is 3 feet long, 2 feet high,
and Is inches wide, which will hold q
trifle over seven bushels. These boxes
are not made sngly, however but
box is made sufficiently large TO d.
vide into t0u~ apartments Of this
size These four boxes in one are
called gangs, The gang" should
be made Of some light, half>inch Ium
Der IN order that it may be moved
arouudstrom place to place without
too mach trouble. There are two
handles en- each end, to use in NOV
ing il. Al each end, board pro
jects some two feet above the box;
with hole through which pole can
be placed when ii use, 10 support the
hop-poles while the piekers are at
work
HOP-pIGAING
should commence at the very earliest
moment that the hops are ready for
il and pushed forward with all pos
sible dispatch until completed. From
the moment they became ripe, the
hops commence to shell from the
vine, the leaves become weather beat
en-, and the strength Of the product
to evaporate. in this county the
hop is ready for picking during the
first week 10 September. By picking
a hop carefully to pieces, a few small
seeds will be discovered close down
TO the stem. When these seeds com
mence to turn black or purple, and
become hard the hop is ready for
picking. BY keeping a close watch
the hop>grower viii know some
days in advance when his crop will
be ready for harvesting, and secure
all the help necessary to keep his
kiln running to its fall capacity might
and day. The pickers are usually
women and children, who can do
this kind OF work much cheaper than
men, and at the same time earn much
more than they could possibly earn
Under ordinary circumstances. a
good smart picker will pick four
boxes a day, and this year received
in this county 65 cents per box,
board, and last year receiy-
ed 80 cents, ia this county all the
women and girls who can possibly
be spared from household duties go
into the hop yards when the picking
season is at hand, and 10 rich mans
daughtor believes she is above doing
her share in her fathers or her neigh.
boris fields Indeed, the way mat.
ters are arranged the hop. picking
sea on is regarded among the young
people as holiday; and, where forty
or fifty OF them are gathered togeth
er, there is generally no want for
amusement, and they enliven their
work hy laughing and taking all the
day long, and by dancing and singing
a good share Of the night. The
young people, from over hundred
miles around, flock into this county
during the picking season; train load
after train load coming from Miiwau>
kee and other towns in tho eastern
portion Of the state.
When all IS in readiness, the
gangs" Of boxes are distributed
along one side Of the yard, and a
stout man to each two gangs is De-
tailed to supply pickers with poles.
Four pickers stand to each gang"
With good knife the hop vines are
cut in twain as high from the ground
as man can reach, and the pole,
lifted from its position is carried to
the gang" The butt IS placed up
on the ground, and the upper portion
Of the pole, around which the hops
are clustered, is rested upon the sup
port inserted in the uprights at each
end Of the gang" Two poles are
carried to each gang, and quickly
stripped Of the silvery clusters. As
the cream OF the picking lies at the
extreme tip Of the vines, the butts
are carried alternately upon one side
of the gang" and then upon the
other, IN order to give all the pickers
an equal chance. The vines are not
cut until just before the pickers want
them, because they very soon wilt,
which renders the work Of removing
the hops very difficult. The pickers
are careful to pick the hops free from
the leaves OF the vine, and also from
stems, and to break off and throw
away all branches which have be,
come broken, and upon which the
hops have withered They drop the
hops loosely into the box as they
pick them, and are entitled to measure
them as they lay. The men who
bring the poles to the pickers also
remove them when the pickers are
through, and, after stripping off the
vines, pile the poles in wiurows at
convenient distances for stacking
When the boxes are filled they are
emptied into sacks which hold one
or two boxes. to suit the convenience
OF owners, and throw upon a wagon
till loaded. it is drawn to the driving