The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-09-26
THE PUYALLUP HOP FIELDS.
TACOMA. Sept. 81, 1877.

Son1 ic'H"@ " usSu - "uOisy iDCpsISCt,
and the hop growers in the valley will
either laugh or get angry al the many
absurd statements in it. It seems too
bad that such things sheuld get abroad
through the stupidity of men claiming
to be the news mediums Of their dis
trict The Indians and the Cinnamon
are on the most friendly terms There
is no rivalry and no cause for any, as
there is plenty work for all. and appre-
hen9ed bioodshed is the worst absurdity
yet perpetrated on the Puyallnp hop
growers
l have personally visited all the hop
farms in the Puyallup-vslley and will
endeavor to give you the result of my
Investigations. find the hop growers
all anxious to receive and impart infor-
nation with regard t" their business.
There are some amongst them that have
had previous experience in hop grow
ing. but the large majority have culti-
vate1 hops for The first time in their
lives on the Puyallup They are pick
ing cleaner this year than ever before
In fact it is impossible TO do cleauer
picking and better curing than they
are ds,ng, aud this has been the cause
Of what little trouble they have had
with their pickers Last year they
picked dirty as they call 1.-THE picker
just grabbed the bunch ut the end and
scraped stems and all into the box
This year for the same price they are
compelled to pick each hop By itself,
with no stems or leaves. and 1t takes
about twice rs long to fill u tox; hence
the complaining
The result of my inquiries through
the hop fields is that no difficulty need
be unprecedented about labor, even if
the growers aud acres treble in mum
Der. Ii the hop growers here will OILY
organize and have head 70 them there
is plenty of labor to be had IN this Ter
ritory. Oregon and British Columbia,
to do ten times the amount of picking
required here now But Just as long rs
the growers remain in their present
disorganized condition and bid against
each other for the help there is On
hand. just SO long will the pickers boss
their employers at the critical time in
their business. Organize, by all means;
it will save you shipping bills, insur-
ance and commission, and get you bet
ter prices for your hops than when you
scatter them through the world in
small lots from comparatively un-
known district and entirely at the mer-
cy of the shipping agent.
The average yield per acre is over
one ton. In most cases 1900 pounds
aud over, and in many more than that.
VIM. Lane has five acres of
hops, the cleanest picked that l
have seen. and his crop averages
by actual weight and actual measure
ment of land. 3,l00 pounds to the acre
This looks extraordinary, but if you
could see his vines you would not be
astonished. r. Nix will average 2.SG0
pounds to the acre. He manures his
ground. Both of these gentlemen cul-
tivate carefully, removing weeds. &c
l find the average temperature for
drying is about 40 degs. under the
hops, in many cases higher and seldom
lower. They commence with a tempe
nature of perhaps 1870 dogs and gradu-
ally increase it to 10 degs. and dry
about an hour to an inch. That is.
floor with IL inches of hops on it, will
take twelve hours to dry. and SO on, an
hoar to the inch. Slow drying. at a
moderate temperature, produces the
best hops. After drying they are al
lowed to remain about twelve days to
90 through sweat, and then bright,
dry and clean they are prepaSed into
bales for the market.
A notable popularity in hepgrowing
and one which attracted my attention,
is one we'll known to botanical students
the necessity of the male vine amongst
the female OF producing vine The
males are planted one to the hundred
females, and about the time the hop Is
sprouting on the female vine, the male
sends forth an abundance of flowers
filed with seeds, which dry, scatter and
die before the hop natures. and when
it does mature, the seed is found under
the leaf of the hop perfect. When the
male vine is absent from the field. the
hop has no seed, aud scarcely any of
the arcma-it is useless 1t Is II curl
osity in nature To see the male vines
standing green and thrifty. the flower
dead aud the seed scattered. but the old
fellow is alive and prTtty 'cel2, thank goa.
AS the hopgrowers are about the
same. in regard to crops. help. etc.
will give you the names. acres. &c. of
those | visited. viz: A. j. Miller has
eight acres and fifty-one men picking;
he is mechanic and everything about
his place is conducted on the lapor-sav-
ing principle.
r. ID. Stewart has seven acres and has
fifty pickers.
Ross Il Stewart have twenty acres
and employ one hundred and fifty eight
pickers.
J. A. Clark has II acres and employs
80 pickers Mr.. Clark has section of
land, and intends TO transplant his hops
next year to higher land.
J. W. Law has 10 acres in hops, owns
$40 acres of land. has lived here three
years. employs 20 piekers. has good
crop and is picking clean as they all are
here and drying we'll.
Crossen & Granger, on the other side
of the Puyallup, have 30 acres of hops
and employ 1870 men.
A. Gardelli has 90 acres of hops and
employs 100 pickers.
j. n. WEIGH has IL scres and will
increase it to fifteen next yesr, and EN-
GO pickers.
James Mcmillan has store of gen.