The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1879-09-25

notvi.hstanding his arduous duties,
Mr. Cook still finds time every Satur-
day evening. A. of old, TO fit from the
gloom Of his editorial ssnctum into the
social sunlight Of the Stuck valley.
there TO look after his girl and Sunday
School interests
The weather has been very favorable
for hop-picking this year; rain only
occurring for the first day or two. A
o general thing about half OF the crop
is picked in the rain, which makes it
slow and disagreeable work. Several
farmers are done picking, and ell will
finish in q few days more. The crop
80 far has been saved in fine condition,
being we'll ma.ured. clearly picked
and properly dried. In Q few Of the
yards . sort Of blight was perceptible.
deadsning an occasional burr. but the
hops 80 affected were excluded as far
as possible in picking. and the gath
cred crop will not be damaged thereby
to any extent. Il 10 Impossible at
present 70 accurately estimate the pro-
duct, but it 10 thought there was about
. two-third yield. taking the whole
valley through, or IN average OF about
1900 pounds to tho acre. Some yards
that were we'll cultivated produced
over . ton TO the acre, while others that
were neglected will fall short of thou.
sand pounds. The hop acreage in the
Valley u supposed to be close upon
four hundred, which at the eetimated
yield will produce ECO tons against S75
last year. Picking has been done en-
tirely by Indians, at 5 cents per bushsl.
making the cost Of picking about 8
cents pound for dried hops. The
hops are picked in large boxes holding
10. Is OF 20 bushels of green hops;
but the size most generally used are ] 5
bushel boxes. the 20 bushel box being
next in favor. Some OF the farmers,
not having sufficient drying capacity
of their own. hire others to dry y part
of their crop; . cent and . qusfter .
pound being the price usually paid
Farmers say they can pick, cure and
b6ls hops ready for market for 5 cents
per pound. They can be cultivated
we'll for less than $50 per acre. Allow.
ing $50 per acre for rent of land, hops
can be grown On land producing . ton
to the acre, and made ready for market,
for TX cents pound. Thus Il will b
seen that farmers will reap fat profits
from their hop-growing this year But
let not these fancy figures entice other
farmers. unscquainted with the business,
into planting hop yards without first
counting the cost. Bop growicg has
. dark a. we'll ~ bright side. and the
dark side is the one most generally III
sight. Tho first costs are enormous
Poles cost from S2j TO $40 per thou
sand. and it takes about 1900 to the
acre where the hops are planted 6 by g.
feet apart, the usual way of planting
in the Puyallup Valley. The neces-
ssry buildings for ten acre field will
cost about $1,000, and there arc many
incidental expenses impossible to esti-
mate. Besides, comparatively nothing
can be realized from the yard the first
yesr. and thus one years interest on
the investment is lost. So. if q farmer
hires the capital to start with at the
high rates Of interest hero prevailing,
and 10 compelled to sell his crop for the
drst few years at or cents q pound,
which 10 not ut eli improbable, be would
probably find himself bankrupt be-
fore season Of high prices would re-
turn to free him from his cmbarrass-
ment. So you sec that this short road
to wealth has its pitfalls. X.