The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-12-20

sacramento and sonoma in California, and
Marion IN Oregon. produce nearly y per cent Of
the crop Of the United States.
The production of hops in the United States
has become in the past few years = very i'm
poFtant branch OF agricultural industry. The
hop plant was introduced into America about
30 years ago, and its cultivation in the colonies
was Tor lev years promoted and encouraged
oy legislation. This legislation continued IN
force until about the year 1857, when the some
what general distribution and growth of tue
hop as garden plaut wss deemed sufficient for
the supply of the domestic demand The guam
tity OF hops grown, however. was never sufi-
clent 10 warrant the classification of the product
as an article OF commerce until after tie year
800. For more than o century II was the prac-
tice of agriculturlsts who cultivated either large
or small domains to raise s few hops for dones-
nc or local use. Nearly every rural housewife
looked after her hop vines and carefully stored.
e. part OF the household necessities, the few
pounds Of hops grown.
During the period from the year $500 TO 1880
tne increase OF the prUduc. was quite gradual,
oat about that time hops became q more impor-
tant crop and began TO assume some CONNER
ciaI Importance. The demand in cities required
source OF supply. and hop yards or small plan
Ives. Statistics OF the yield OF hops in the
United states prior 10 $50 are almost wholly
wanting, but in that year the crop was eStiTna-
TED 10 amount 20 GO bales of 20 pounds each
This was nearly trebled in the succeeding ten
years aud IL the census year 1850 total OF IL
90 bales were raised This was again trebied in
The next ten years, and IN the census Of 1850 the
9Ie.a was reported a. about 5000 bales. The
FaIlo OF increase was slightly smaller during the
period from 1910 10 iS79. The yield in the latter
year was u 60 bales. somewhat more than
. - rSTfs yea So. hts
TOTAL crop was nearly 1900 bales, being an In
crease OF less than 6,0oJ bales. The returns for
ds's LOT the eleventh census show the progress
OF mop culture IN tha United states for the last
aeeaae. AID present q total crop for the year of
oS,IflzlO pounds, or about 10000 bales, an in
crease Tor ten years OF $500 bales.
he statistics OF the hop crop for the year
Ioo9' herewith reported, are supplemented by
report also OF the crop of Isq0. The WORK OF the
enumeEators was completed as OF date June l,
1oy9. oI course, as viii oe readily understood, a
census taken in June must BE simply the statis-
tics OF the crop grown the previous year. There
foFe the census inquiry OF 1889 treats only Of the
crop OF los9. 1t found possible, however,
WhIIe verifying the reports Of the enumerators
pg actual correspondence with each hop grower,
~ OBTAIN az the same time original statistics of
the crop OF LosJ. Although the statistics of the
latter year were NOT impeFatiyeiy required BY
tue law, yet the value OF such statistics for the
year lmme 1lately succeeding the census year
was deemed SUFFICIENT 10 warrant their COliec-
ton. IL must therefore be understood that the
results herein given Tor the crop year OF IsS9 are
the HguTGs OF [le eleventh census, aud 10 be
SO USED n all comparisons with statistics of any
previous census. The statistics for the crop
year 1880 are supplementary. and given only be-
cause OF their interest 70 the public as valuable
statistical results. but not strictly pertaining 10
the eleventh census.
In the preparation OF hop statistics for the
years los9 and lSgo for this bulletin one-fourth
o. an acre crop area and loo pounds crop product
are the minimum returns considered. Returns
OF q few rods Of area few pounds OF pro-
auc1, Tor domestic or local uses merely, are re-
jected.
In the United States only seventeen states
now report the production of hops for market.
VI these only i've produce 10000 pounds or
more each, and may be considered important
hopgrowing states from a commercial point of
view. These are California, New York. oregon,
Washington and Wisconsin Of the 3o.I7I2 30
pounds of hops grown in the United states in
the census year 1890 the five states named pro-
dueed 3S,9 800 pounds. or 49, is per cent.
The value OF the hop crop herein given is
based upon prices obtained in actual sales made
by producers to consumers and dealers.
Inc peculiar conditions which control the
price of hops are not fully understood and can
hardly he explained even by the most exper-
fenced dealers. The relations of domestic sup
ply and demand, which supposed in case Of
most ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS to affect prices in any
given year do not appear to govern wholly the
price OF hops in the United states A lew in
stances may be in point.
The crop OF 1889, little upward OF 100000
pounds, realized about 100000, or an average
OF 1898 cents per pound.
The crop of 1890. nearly 81, 900 900 pounds real
81 cents per pound, trebling the price of the
previous year. No adequate ex PLANTATION OF this
enormous increase in price is to lie found in the
slightly decreased supply.
Again, the crop OF lS.6 was remarkably light
yield, and growers and dealers alike anticipated
great increase in price consequent upon the
curtallmeut OF the supply. Contrary, however,
10 the universal expectation, the price did not
appreciate, but continued to decline until the
appearance OF the next years crop. Many
minor causes, supposed to affect prices and 70
niErh 10 QfaH in. yr.ia
nation, out none are entirey satisfactory. Pos
sibiy the importation from Belgium, Germany
and England, made in view oI the supposed
shortness OF the erapof the United States WAS
great element in producing the result stated.
Doubtless the estimated extent of the barley
crop and other conditions affecting the brewing
interest were also elements
There is also auutactured product, the ex-
tract OF hops, produced in considerable quantity
in seasons waea prices rule low, which Is stored
Tor use In future years. This extract possesses
substantially the qualities of commercial hops,
and may be Kept tor years without oeteriora-
ton. In seasons of scarcity or high priced hons
American brewers have recourse TO the extract,
thereby lessening the demand for hops and
operating as cheek upon eytravagant huctua-
lions in price.
During the last ten years the price OF good
hops has huctuated between 10 cents and 81 per
pound.
1t may be matter of interest to the public to
know that OF all the principal agricultural pro-
duets grown in the United States Qncluding
corn, whe at rye oats, barley, tobacco. hay. rice
tpttOB, sugar potatoes ana lONsJ the proper
tlonate increase in quantity and value for the
last forty years Is lar greater for barley and
hops, the two products used In the manufacture
OF malt liquors, than for any of the others
The variations IN yield in hop growing locali-
ties are frequently very great, and in some states
the uncertainties of the crop have been so
marked that its cultivation is nearly abandoned.
Twenty years ago the states OF Maine. &assa-
chusetts. Michigan, New Hampshire, Vermont
and Wisconsin produced annually ten times the
quantity they now produce Visions n, ten
years ago, ranked second only to Aew York in
hop production, but in tina, period ii has been
LETT lar behind by the Pacific states aud now
ranks as the fifth, producing less than 10000
pounds, against about ,010 IN 1879 and 4,j00
co in 1863
Ten counties in the United States produce
over 100000 pounds Of hops each. These coun-
ties being the most important localities of the
hop growing industry, the following analyses Of
the statistics reported from them VIII be of in
teresc The acreage and amounts respectively
produced Dy them are given as follows, the
counties being stated ia the order in which they
rank as producing counties;
: COUNTIES. State Acres Pounds