Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-05-26
.,,c AND PIERCE COUNTY nsrs
1pro-n the Tacoma News.

r. estimate of the acreage Of the
hon fields of Pierce county tor 1872 ap.
rnravima.ed n go acres. his year We
baee reports of s73 acres, an increase Ut
a~sr 30 Der cent, and in hing county
.sa percentage Of increase ~ very much
,.,aer u the hop fields now under cult.
'n r..,on Ia that county being estimated
ss ss aysr 100 acres. OF this aggregate
a.rcie farm of 200 acres has been plant
sli as sS .he Seattle Hop Growers Asso-
.,,,p g and Z. Meeker d Co, one os
par.IIur's largest hop growing firms,
- ~ acres on White river. In this
ua,nty the bop farmers number about
~ IA more than one-third Of the acre
~, 70 has been planted the present year.
r. Iarges. hop grower IN Puyaiiop
~ H., Il Van Dgle. who Is credited With
ss sc,es followed by +. Meeker 1t Co.,
- IN. A. Gardeiii. with 10 acres; J..
= Tho,,rsou. 40: John Carson and Il.
r.mnbeli. 40 each; j. 4. Dickinson,
CHRIS Helnlbold and Boatmai d Son.
on each: John Kincsid, q. Ryan. T..
T.aae and ). Wooiery, each from - to
o.. N n Anuis. John Meeker, Chris
T,,ca;d. ID. NJ. Ross, Il. Spinning. j. +.
Ssa.srt. A. J. Miller, X. Nix, Frank
yon.e and J. ID. GiIlhan, from IL TO 20
asnh aud many others are credited
sa;.b f,on 3 to IL acres each. bat In re-
WI vi 10 which our reports arc not suf-
s.,sntIv foil to warrant enumeration.
Taken together Pierce and hing coun-
tea will probably compare favorably
with those OF any other two counties 10
the United States engaged IN this cul-
ture. aepregating some lIo acres oil
hans. which at the average yield OF 100
,opnds an acre for old and new fields,
rnnld amount 10 q total harvest of
. s55ODO pounds. At 30 cents per pound
tbe oross product would reach the sum
~ n ri. 800, price which seems hkeiy
a. be raised rather than lowered, as the
amount of old hops in sight IL less even
than last year: stocks out OF brewers
hands are exceedingly limited, averaR-
inc less than 4 bales for each brewer.
washington Territory hops are still
auoted at S5 to 80 cents per pound.
Dealers are ready and anxious to make
contracts at q cents, but most OF the
farmers prefer to take their chances
nntil the harvest. Last year Mt this
time few or no hops had been contract
ed for. and al late as July, large helds
we're offered for - cents.
Although the hop crop is reasonably
sure one on our rich bottom lands, there
are still important contingencies To be
considered IN any estimate OF the re-
suits. The large increase OF acreage
will not only enable tho pickers, OF
which there was last year o short sup
ply, causing considerable composition
among the farmers to obtain sufficient
help. 10 dictate terms, but will render II
difficult 10 harvest tho entire crop In
the proper season. There is no crop
made which requires closer or more
timely attention thaa that of hops. To
pick too early or too late ~ equally dis
astr0us, and picking must commence
and proceed continuously, SO that
neither the first nor the last harvested
shall be too premature or too ripe to
retain TO n large extent the essential
qualities of the plant. Last season
some Of the indians from down this
Sound who had been accustomed TO
assist in the Puyaltup harvest were said
to have been frightened away by
small pox scare. ana doubtless there
will DO great composition next fall
among the hop growers To obtain re-
liable help. As the supply of Indians
used to this business Is not large enough
TO meet the increased demand for their
services. other help will have TO be OBJ
tanned or a considerable proportion OF
the crop will remain IN the field un-
picked. Doubtless the labor of children
and Of families could be utilized for
this work. IL wages commensurate with
the value OF the crop were offered. Last
year the planters paid at tho rate of ~
n box OF 100 pounds, aud it may be that
n higher price will be demanded this
fall, should tho market price OF hops
continue o. anything like last years
figures. IL should be remembered. how
ever, that the acreage TO this crop has
been largely increased, not only In the
valleys of this vicinity, but that exten-
sive fields have been planted IN all
parts of the Territory adapted to hop
culture. AZ well as in Oregon, and
doubtless in California. The new
plants will not of course produce equal
TO the old, but they will add materially
10 the harvest, and with fair eastern
crop, may largely modify the great ex.
pectations of the hop planters. The
future of prices, however, will depend
largely upon the yield in New York
State and Europe.