Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1876-07-08
OLYMPIA, SATURDAY MORNING, JULY 5, 1876.
siG2.CULTURE ON THE PUYALLUP.

SEEr.CTLTIRE On xhE ~
!. few days ago, Donald Macleay,
ESD, of the enterp1ising firm of Cor
bitt Il AIacleay, of Portland, accom-
panied by Frank Clark, Esq, of Steil-
accom-, visited the hop-helds of the
PuyalIup valley. The former gentle
man has contracted with the producers
to dispose of this years crop, and he is
therefore qualified to express an accu-
tate opinion of the extent of the sea-
sons operations, and to impart other
interesting facts connected with hop
culture. He passed through the whole
valley, and found the crops in fine con-
dition and the people apparently pros
porous and happy. He estimates the
yield this season at 400 tons, and the
valley is capable of producing three
times that quantity. The Indian res
ervation, lying at the mouth Of the riv-
er, about six miles wide and ten long,
contains fully one-third of the desir-
able land of the valley. The soil is
exceedingly rich, and adapted to garden
products of all varieties and most of
the fruits. Prunes, plums and ap-
Piles can be grown to perfection, and as
the patented drying processes have
practically made the world customer,
this product will no doubt soon engage
attention. Messrs. Corbitt & Macleay
propose to take half the stock OF an
Alden drying establishment, located in
this valley, a proposition which meets
with great favor, and will at once be
followed by responsive action on the
part of the settlers of the valley.
The soil adapted for hops is Light and
loamy with dry subsoil. The plants
are placed three or four seedlings to
each hill in rows about six feet apart.
Each hill is provided with three or four
poles, from Is to 20 feet in length. In
the gathering season they are removed
and stacked up. The only cultivation
necessary is to dig over the ground in
winter and in summer keep it free from
weeds. The plants produce partial
crop the second year and full yield
the third season. The hops are less
subject to blight in this country than
they are in the East, and the rose-fy,
which produces such devastation in old
hop districts, is here unknown.
The picking season begins about the
Goth of September and lasts month.
When the hops are ripe, the poles are
pulled up with the vines hanging to
them, and Indians are employed to pick
the strobiles, which are Immediately
carried to the kiln, where they are dried
on hair screens, at temperature of 12O
deg. Fahrenheit. The fumes of burn
ing sulphur are admitted while drying
by which they are bleached. They are
then packed tightly in bales of 200
pounds. These bales are made so COM
pact that they may be cut into blocks
with a knife, and they may be kept for
years in dry situation. The quality
of hops is judged of by the weight OF
the bales, the heavier samples possess
ing more of the hop-dust, one pound
of which is considered equal to fou,
pounds of the strobiles deprived of it.
Hopes are greatly injured by damp
ness.
The present price of hops is very low,
II cents being the average quotation
ruling las. season, with no better pros
pect for this years crop. Prices have
ranged in former years, from Is to sc
cents per pound, and even so cents
have been obtained for the entire product
Of the valley. The wages of pickers is
about 80 cents per day, and severa
hundred are employed during the busy
season. The number of acres under
cultivation are as follows:
Acres
Thompson & Meade. ........... ....... 40
y. Meeker. .......-... 20