Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-10-29
Hops and Their Culture.

THE cultivation of hops in this country
has passed through all the gradations in
production, from few bales up to a glut-
ted market and unremunerative prices
But as the hop is an article which will
probably be in demand as long as malt
liquors are made, it is far better policy on
the part of our agriculturists to produce
all that is required for home use than to
look to foreign countries for a sHpply.
Enormous profits must not be expected
from the culture of hops, inasmuch as
this plant thrives over a very wide extent
of country, and anything beyond a fair
remunerative price is certain to be fol-
lowed by extensive planting and de-
pressed market. Supply and demand is the
supreme law of the land in regulating the
prices of agricultural products, for we have
no Harry the Eighth to forbid the use of
hops in making beer, nor Swedish Kings
like Christopher III. to compel every
farmer to cultivate at least forty hills
Our farmers must depend upon their own
good judgment and industry in such mat
ters, there being no law except the one |
have named to control their operations
OF late several of our correspondents
have asked advice in regard to embarking
in the culture of hops, and, while there
are no good reasons for doubling that a
steady demand will continue TO exist for
hops, there are good reasons for doubtiag
the advisability of extending the culture
at the present time. Rather low prices
have been the rule for the past few years,
showing full supply; still, as some cul-
tivators become discouraged and plow up
their plantations, 1t makes room for 9TH
ers to set out new ones, hut upon the
whole there is little to encourage any fur.
ther extension of culture.
If, however, man has an excellent soil
in a congenial climate, plenty of timber
suitable for poles, and is also fully satisfied
that the culture of this plant would be
agreeable, then we would say by all means
go into the businessmen fora year or two,
as a matter of experiment, or with the
vain hope of making little extra money
and then quitting, for such an enterprise
is seldom satisfactory. But man must
expect to take the low prices as well as
the high, and bridge over the unfavorable
seasons out of the profits Of the favorable
ones; in fact, to take the good and bad as
they come. Diseases and insects are pretty
certain to be encountered in hop culture,
and they frequently make fearful inroads
on the profit side of the growers accounts,
but we do not know that they are any more
abundant in hop plantations than in the
wheat or cotton field. An English author
ity on hop culture says on this point
"The hop plant is subject to many dis.
eases, to the attacks of caterpillars and
other insects, TO mildew, and to a variety
of atmospherical influences, which rem.
ders 1t ever the sport of the weather, and
occasions the proverbial uncertainty OF
the crop" Its culture in this country
has not perhaps been attended with quite
as many enemies as in Europe; still the
mildew, hop aphis and other insects occa.
sionally cause serious losses to the cult
vator
In the culture of hops a deep and very
rich soil Is indispensable, for when they