, 1877-09-29

acres AS the total. This he thought
about as accurate as could be accer
taincd
Ryan & Avery, and L. +. Thompson
gave the following items from which the
value OF this interest may be inferred.
The cost OF II ten acre hop yard is
about as follows:
Ten acres OF cleared land at $50 per
acre; $500
To prepare the ground. and set out
the hops SIS per acre; $3.50
1900 hop poles per acre, Cedar Is
teet long, three inches square, at $40 per
1000, being $4,000 poles; 5000,
The cost of cultivation per acre S25
per annum, $3.50.
First years yield uncertain. To he
cultivated another year, before sure
crop can be figured upon, $3.50.
Cost OF ten acres OF hops, two years
old, $3.50.
81 l,750 is the bare cost of the ten acre
hop yard. Now TO properly carry this
on, there should be two dry houses.
Each twenty-five feet square, cost 81 ,0O0
And one warehouse worth, $1,000
80 boxes to pick in, 1875
Hop press, so
Team OF horses and agricultural
implements required extra for
each ten acres valued at $50
Total $2,S25.
That is, it requires $l,75O to set out and
raise II hop yard two years old, and
$2,S25 worth Of buildings and tools to
keep it up and cure the hops, or $3.50
as tho first cost Ol ten acre hop yard
and its necessary ppurtenanccs, before
anything eau be realized. That Is over
$3.50 expenditures per acre. In other
words to meet contingencies, person
needs fully $500 capital for every acre
invested in the business if they wish to
be f0rehanded and control their own
business. For every dollar less, they
are compelled to run in debt, pay q large
rate OF interest, and be unable to handle
their crop to advantage.
That is, to properly handle the annual
hop crop of the Puyallup, needs capital
equal to $2,5O0,OO0. And it these far,
mers lack any of that amount, then they
are in debt tor the deficiency.
The cost Of picking and curing the
hops, and getting them ready for market,
is as follows:
Cultivation each year per pound, II
cents.
Picking euch year per pound, A cents,
Drying and bailing including cloth
per pound A, cents.
Delivery to Tacoma per pound, l cents.
Total cost of handling crop 10 cents
per pound.
The yield will average for the valley
about 1900 pounds per acre, each year.
Good fields well cultivated will average
each year 1000 pounds per acre, some
yards will run over 1900 pounds pei
acre.
Consider 1000 pounds as the yield
that should be realized from II yard well
tended per acre each year. and the capi-
tai required for ten acre yard at $4,000.
The interest on this capital would be.
at one per cent per month, for one year
$500 and the depreciation and wear
and tare of property at least $400 more,
or a total of 81 900, year, equal to five
cents a pound, on an annual crop of
10000 pounds per annum of hops from
ten acre hop yard. On this basis.
men would loose money on less than
twelve cents pound, would hold their
own on fifteen cents II pound, while all
above fifteen cents would be profit.
The first years crop can not bc relied
upon. therefore it is not included in the
above estimate. 1t sometimes amounts
to half crop, or 900 pounds per acre,
and sometimes to nothing.
The price ot hops varies so from year
year, that many who one year, fancy
themselves independent, the next year