The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-09-11
CONDITION OF HOPS AND MARKETS.
Harvesting of Washington Crop - Ad-
vice. From the East and Europe.

| PUYALLUP, Sept. I0.-tSpecisL What threat
| ened to be a continuous and steady rain has
I happily cleared of after an hour or TWO OF a
| quiet drizzle Had il continued there Is no
| doubt that il would Work SAD havoc among the
| hops vet on the poles. One OF the drawbacks in
| having white piekers is their antipathy to work
| ing in rain whereas the Indian PODS on in any
| and every kind OF weather. Storm and sun
| shine are alike 70 him. Besides this, many OF
| the growers think that rain would affect the
| hops and make il appear great deal worse than
! il already is which is saying great deal.
| Picking is now over in many OF the smaller
| yards, and as was anticipated, they were picked
! green. However, with many there was no other
/ alternative as the lice were working sad havoc.
| Many OF the dealers predicted, few weeks ago,
| that there would not be such thing as a
| strictly choice hop in Washington this year.
II not actually so, the appearance OF the hops in
the bale go a long way to show that there is q
| great deal OF truth in their prediction. The ma
! jority OF samples exhibited on this market are
| inferior TO any previous years growth, still
| some good hops have been harvested, and when
price is established will no doubt sell read ly
at, IL is safe to say, somewhat of better price
than that which seems TO be the highest esti-
mate now, viz: Is cents. The bulk Of the crop,
however, will be Of third or fourth grade, and
IL is hard TO say what will ultimately be the
price for this class
There is no doubt in the minds of the best
authorities now as TO the efficacy of spraying,
and the important point for growers 70 renem-
Der is that il must be gone into thoroughly and
several months earlier than was done this year.
We know of yards where spraying was system
atically and energeticaIly gone with, and the
result is that the hops free Of lice and in the
bale make a choice hop. One yard in the valley
here where spraying was done has produced 100
boxes more than last year, while others who did
no spraying have left their crop 10 winter on the
poles. 1t viii take more money 10 cultivate
hops in the future than il has done in the past,
and the successful hop grower will not have
such an easy time OF it, he must, ps soon as
his crop is harvested, clean up his yard and
burn all the vines and weeds gathered. Then,
with the first appearance Of the young shoots in
the spring, he must keep his eye open for the
parasites Of the hop, and spray early ana often,
as i'll this way only can he look forward with
any certainty to an abundant harvest.
Oregon is sadly behind this year with its hop
crop. The quality is poor, ana it is probable
that no more than half OF last years crop will
be harvested. The Oregon growers did not be-
gin spraying so early in the season the Wash
ington growers, hence the partial failure of their
crop.
California is said to have large crop, not
withstanding reports of destruction by vermu.
Washington will not harvest over 5000 bales
this year, less than one-third of which will be
choice This is about 20, 900 bales less than what
is considered a good average crop.
+. Meeker d Co. are the only shippers here,
having shipped COO bales in the past ten days.
Should the rain come in again it is feared that
picking will be stopped ON a great many yards.
The lice are still doing great damage, and will
continue TO do so as long as they are allowed to
exist unmolested.
Germany is said to have large crop this year,
which means that il will be more than the esti-
mate, as it generally is and also that there will
be a large surplus in that country for export
Scharrer & Sons, of Nuremberg, report vernin
and blight, but only in limited quantities, and
IL good weather prevails both quality and guam
tity will be above the average. The brewers
have only small stocks on hand, so that when
the new crop comes in, which will be about the
end of this month, brisk business is looked
for. L. Meeker IL Co. are just in receipt of a
sample of choice 1891 Bohemians, which are a
very high quality OF hop, and make some of the
1891 Washingtons suffer very much by compari-
son. Advices are as follows:
NEW YoRK.-The near approach of the new
crop is diverting attention from olds and but
few transactions are taking place Several
bales OF the new crop were on the market about
q week ago and were disposed OF, but the price
in no way was a standard. The quality of this
years crop in New York is of a mixed character.
The crop is estimated to yield 100000 bales, or
1000 more than last year.
LOSDoS.-The new crop is being received on
the market and the quality is considered a fair
average so far The price, however, has not yet
been established.
Cable advices of the Sth report market firm,
but quiet. The English crop this year is esti-
mated at 10000 old duty or about 275,O00 bales.