The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-09-08
County and City Official Press.
Saturday. September 8, 1877.
HOP RAISING IN KING CO.

The hop interest in this comfy
though succeeding remarkably well 50
far as tried. is yet in its infancy. The
experiInsnters as yet tina, we are aware
of, arc Mr.. p Hayes, Is acres, Mr.. c.
n. Van Do-ep, 81 acres, Void Bros,
II acres, and few acres each on the
farms Of Messrs Wetmorc, Carpenter.
Crow and jeff. Mr.. Van Doren will
put in 90 acres more this Fall, which
will make the White River Center Il
busy place next year.
Mr.. Van Doren's meihe1 Of planting
is TO stretch telegraph wire across
one side Of the field, and stake out
points along thi. every eight feet.
Then stretch The wire across the oppo.
site side. and set stakes as before.
Then start two men with seven foot
string across the field in transverse
direction, setting stakes st every length
Of the line. between the corresponding
opposite stakes at each end. This will
make about $50 hills to the acre. AS
fast rs .taked off. a wagon drives along
and drops the poles. which are eighteen
feet long, and as light as consistent
with strength. Two to the hill are bet
ter than one. and round ones better than
split. A man iabs n hole by the stake
with a crowbar, in which the pole is
securely set--sbout two feet deep. and
tho hop roots are then distributed, four
10 eight per hill These are cut two or
three inches long. or so As to contain
about two eyes each, and cost so cents
per bushel. After the first year, if too
thick, the vines may be thinned out.
The cost of planting an acre of hops is
stated as scarcely greater than that of
planting an acre of potatoes. if we'll
managed. Besides. the planting once
done. it remains, and has not to
be done over again every year.
Mr. Van Doren puts n row of pota-
toes between each row of hops and this
year has realized better average yield
Of potatoes than when the whole ground
Is filed with them in the ordinary way.
The hop yield, the first year, if well
cultivated aud in favorable soil. will be
about l 900 lbs. per acre or half crop.
light sandy soil. with clay sub soil.
suits them lost. II pays to give them
thorough culture, rs much so as in the
case Of orchards Plow four times dur
ing tho season. and keep rs clear Of
weeds rs an onion bed. The old vines
are usually ready to pick September
LIST. The new crop little later. The
picking is done by Chinese or Indian
labor and costs IS cents per box of $50
pounds as bushels besides 81 per day
to the man that pulls up the poles.
Dried hops weigh ~ pounds less per
bushel than green.
There is q good deal of expense in.
volved in tho necessary buildings, fur
nsces. fans, presses, Nc.. required for
drying and putting up, but Mr.. Van
Doren estimates that eight cents,
will cover the entire cost Of producing
. pound of dried and pressed hops.
Those who have made preparations on
thorough scale usually have facilities
in this respect far beyond their own..re.
qairements and dry and pack their
neighbor's hops at reasonable tariff.
The price is not likely to rise as high
- it used to be some years ago, 40, 80.
and even 65 cents per pound, because,
We believe. the production throughout
the world is steadily increasing. Still.
there is scarely year but that the crop
is whole or epartisl failure in some
large districts Of its production. and
some years this failure 10 moro wide
spread than others. There is no coun-
try where it 10 50 unfailing and certain
of uniform excellence rs here no ooun.
try where it 10 20 free from destructive
drawbacks. owing Of course to the ex-
haustless fertility Of the soil. and the
steady uniformity and vivifying char
scter Of our moist climate. The worlds
consumption il % vast that all that can
b raised in Washington Territory is
but drop in the bucket compared with
the total demand. Besides it is an ar
ticle which admits Of easy export any
where. Those who have uplands rs
we'll ~ alluvions. will derive doabls
profit by planting orchards in addition.
aud utilizing their fixtures for drying
TO put up the fruit crop after the hops
are out Of the way.