New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-08-26
THE AMERICAN KENT.
GLEANINGs FROM NETWORK Hop-FIELDs

THE AMERICAN KENT.
GLEANINGS FROM NETWORK HOP-F1ELDS.
(FRoM An OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIDUSE.l
MILFORD, N. Y, Aug. 30" Good morning,
Mr. Brown! Glad TO see you How are the hops LOOK
ing up your way Not very well Too bad' But near
yours are fine! Before you commence picking ne sure
to call on us. We have the best stock Of ana inc
astute merchant gldes into welworn strain praisng
the unequaed merchandise that fills his shop But the
question which he asked Is familiar one 1t Is as COM
mon as the morning sautaon for In Otsego County the
hop prospect than anything else ILLS the popular
mind. The blight, the vermin the mildew the mould
the probable yled-a these things and many more are
daily discussed by the hour and-to the stranger-"n
painful sameness. What the herd is to Texas wheat
to Minnesota, oil to Pennsylvania hops are 10 'ne
agriculturists OF Central New-York.
THE RISE AND FALL OF A HoP-BooM.
Hons have been grown here more less extensively,
for the past fifty years. and for thirty has been very
cons ierabe busness but never has IL reachea inc 'cn
OF excitement witnessed during tho past year. Never
before have hops touched high figure. During tne
previous years the price had ucuated between 10
and 40 cents per pound sufficient wide range, one
might say who knows little OF the hop trahc Ana 30 IN
truth it Isl the lowest figure affords some small mar
gin OF profit But when in September last hops eaped
10 60 cents aud in December reached the marVcuous
rate Of 81 IS per pound the whole population ran Dop
mad No ore could foresee what the END might DO
Every man with few spare hundreds made haste 10
invest In hops. The growers themselves helped 10 IN
the apparent shortage by refusing TO sell even at
these immense figures and storing their crops for that
apparently not far away time when the prices should
| reach 81 So 81. or even 81 80 per pound.
Consider for moment that good hop-yard will pro-
duce say 500 pounds per acre. while LOO Is LOT an IN
common YIELD and instances are known where ton mas
been grown upon that amount OF ground At 81 20 per
| 0iye a return OF at least
81 Oco and IL might reach than 81 600. Imagine
tina moor farmer put by one turn OF Tor
times wheel in possession Of thousands Or the land
owner struggling beneath load OF debt at once raised
TO aniuenca. such instances could be met In every
| nelzhborhoDd.
ono result of this nood-tde OF prosperity seen in
the Immediate enhancement OF the price OF all articles
of use or luxury And particularly this true OF lana
for IL was this which bore the golden harvest Farms
with few acres OF hops advanced at once 90 or more
per cent In price One instance OF many may narra'e
There lies between the schmeras Creek the east and
the susauehanna River the west preciptous noun
tain known as the Crumhorn Just at the point or THIS
Horn where the land makes sheer descent into the
valley beneath Is situated farm containing ABOUT ZVV
acres -Four thousand dollars would have been thought
price for il a few years ago But tho owner had
faith IN hops. He steadily Increased MS ACREAGE pam
an the debt that had embarrassed him. and after selling
Ts last wears crop for some S5 Goo disposed OF the farm
for 80, 800 The buyer In MS turn DaIBaincu
for SiO5OO but owing TO some misunderstanding did
not deliver To day hops have dropped TO % cents per
| nonnd and he would be brave man who would offer
But swiftly recedng as was this tide which raised
men 10 afiuence. II lasting enough IN some cases 90
| exhibit rare examples OF commercial hohor some OF
these are worthy OF record buyer In the previous
| wear had in connection with New-fork mousse Dough-
tso steadiy fell 70 % cents and the Ne York house
repudiaed the contracts of their buyer. nc, tn'ls
thrown upon his raised such an amount OF
money as he was personally able and sought the grow
era To these lie explained the situation OF anairs a
offered 10 take the crop on his own respohsoy ~
cents per pound which was then cents above tue
est market price. THIS offer was generally accepted,
Tho buyer took and paid the hops an hed thenun
the advance OF last autumn, when ne SOLD TOT u mgh
though not the highest He m@ediae s9rs S
them the cents per pound which was que on the ol1
contract Another dealer a. ,n the Tear "a
repay what still due his creditors upon 'ho ouE
lawed debts.
THIS YEARS HARVEST
| Anpearances to-day indicate that the harvest viii
halle the favorable promise OF the summers growth.
The ny-thc hops worst encmy-has, IN this county al
leas appeared In immense numbers The eggs OF the ny
produce the hop louise which covers leaf and vine
| Following these comes honcy-dew, which turns the
lively color OF the leaf TO dead green or black The
last stage and most to be dreaded Is mould when at
tacks the hop ITSELF causing 1t in few days to become
ro,,en and worthless The Hy. louise and honeydew are
bere the mould has yet made It's appearance but
is An almost certain follower of the Others and Will be
| sure TO come
On account OF these unfavorable indications hops vii
| be picked much earlier this year than usual many
begin to-day and many more will do 50 next week usu
ally the first September is considered early to begin
nckine but growers prefer gather the somewhat I'm
mature CROP ather than risk the probable injury The
uy will innct Looked at in any way the yield this yea
be OF good quality as that OF last Inen tner
| were few yermn and though the crop was small ths
hon was well matnred. and the quality good But the
hops gathered this week must be green ana ac.ia I'M
| navor while those which allowed 80 ripen VII
without much doubt be moudy and In large measure
worthless -, -. 49,. ,,a.,,,oro,s En-,
sh product the fly, Is the shortening or the Time
plcking Formerly hop-gatheijna began IN septemoeel
! and continued well into October. Then hops cOulC
rIneu ON the pole emsn for days without danger
deterioration Twenty years ago snow not lnIequenty
fell before picking was completed. The writer wei
remembers the shiverng figures which used to fill thu
hop-felds nc dawn in those days. But now Septembe
mst ace the work completed. Indeed three weeks vii
now very well include the whole picking season.