The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-08-26
THE STATE HOP CROP.
Bulletin of State Board of Trade
by Ezra Meeker.
SLIGHT INJURY BY LICE.
A Million and o Half OF Dollars In
Clear Profit This Year
Soil,


MeeKer, OF Puyallup. Mr. Aeeker declares in
this article that the crop is uninjured by lice
ana that 1t is very large III last years prices
hold this season the hops will bring into the
state fully million and half of dollars in clear
profits. Nj. Meeker also relates the early his
tory of hop raising here, and discusses the vari-
Gus questions connected with the subject. The
bulletin follows:
Hop culture in the state of Washington dates
from the year 1866 when Jacob Z. Meeser, then
living about three miles from the site OF the
present city OF Puyaiiup, planted peck OF hop
sold for SIS cents per pound. This attracted at
tention TO the industry aud resulted In further
Planting, first along the Puyaliup rlyer and
afterward in the numerous rich alluyial valleys
OF the Puget sound basin and in Eastern wash
ing. From this small beginning sprang an In
dustry that has brought into the state more than
$4,000, 900 and given employment TO fully lo,O00
people annuity. Every succeeding year has
witnessed ali increase in production, Gu inlnat-
ing in crop of 5000 bales, or nearly suu,VOo
pounds, for the year 1890.
No one connected with the early development
OF this industry had the faintest conception OF
the proportions il was destined 70 assume, any
more than they had of the great development OF
the state at large which has followed in the
wake of the expansion OF trade incident TO the
uncovering OF the ricn and varied resources OF
Washington. / have seen the early hop wards
of Puyallup covered with handsome business
blocks, the primitive roads turned into carriage
drives and the railroad supplant the OK cart
cultivated fields and less towering forests OF hop
poles, and now train load after train load is re-
quired 10 carry away the crops. We are ready
TO believe almost anything OF the inture when
we think of the past, and we may look forward
to a further expansion OF this interest as our
population increases and means OF transit ana
transportation are multiplied and cheapened.
This with certainty may be said, that we have
the soil wherein to produce ten times the pres
ent output If we can be assured OF marker ana
OF sufficient harvest hands.
ha nh q IN nrOductlOn
the state of Washington has been due entirely
To the existing favorable conditions tor the De-
velopment OF this branch of agriculture. The
deep. moist, friabe, rich soil: the cool nights
coupled with long days OF sunlight; the GER
tainty of summer rainfall: the ease with which
the loamy land may be cultivated the constant
continued growth, unchecked from drouth,
have all contributed to make the yield large, the
cost light, the crop certain and the quality
choice. The best and most productive lands
must be selected only by practical experience.
The bulk of the crop of Western Washington at
present is grown in the valleys OF the White,
Puyallup, stuck, Skagit and Snohomish rivers
and on the Dungeness bottoms. In Eastern
Washington, where the climate is more like that
OF New York, considerable success mas attended
Yakima valley. Experience may demonstrate
that hop culture would be profitable industry
over a large part of the area of Western Wash
ington provided there was market for the
crops. From the Cascades and the Olympics
spring many streams forming rich valleys adj
jacent to tide water. For countless centuries
ain sides aud the process still goes on, vege-
table growth springing up and taxing posses
sion of the newly made land. This rich alluviai
deposit is inexhaustable, and the hop roots
penetrate deep into the soil to absorb the moist
ure. Some years ago l attempted to sink an
artesian well on my hop farm, and found the
soil to be IA feet deep In ditching we found
hop roots abundant at four feet from the sur
face, and roots nine feet long have been ex-
posed by the wash OF the river.
How long hops will flourish in any one yard
N SIt aali IA m csn
Is well selected, the soil properly prepared and
the yard carefully cultivated, there is no reason
why even centuries of successive crops should
lead to any material diminution of the yield.
There are in Washington hop yards quarter
of u century old, without a missing hill or sign
of decay. MI Morton, in his treatise on hop
culture, in speaking of England, mentions q hop
yard that has been in uninterrupted cultivation
for 500 years He writes: "The durability OF
the hop plant is very great when growing upon
eongenial soil with careful cultivation. tits
difficult to ascertain the age OF partcu ar plsnta
tons; we have one, however. In our possession,
which has not been replanted for at least l50
years, and 1t is as fourishing as ever" Ger
tanly the soil of Washington is equally capable
of yielding successive crops, and In the light OF
of the inherent characteristics OF soil and eli
mate, it is incredible that there should be crop
failure. OF the quality OF Washington hops il
is unnecessary 10 say much Their excellence Is
well attested by the growing favor with which
they are received in the world markets. In all
quotations OF prices they stand in the front rank
while the abundant crops and smaller cost of
production have forced many of the Eastern
growers to reduce their acreage and forced the
abandonment OF several thousand acres in Eng
land.
Within the limits of space to which am con-
fined in this article, it would be impossible to
give a comprehensive idea of the methods of
planting, cultivatng, harvesting and curing
At best can give but an outline. For many
years in succession have harvested full crops
from cuttings planted in the early spring. TO
insure this sod ground is selected and double
plowed. Where but one pole 70 the hill is in
tended, the plants should be seven feet apart,
set in squares. Ii the ground has been properly
prepared the planting is speedily done. From
three 10 five cuttings are planted in each hill 10
insure crop the frst year. Sometimes double
hills loot apart are planted and the pole set
between them the first year. after which
half of the plants are plowed or grub
bed out. The one-hu .'alsni,. hill n is
though / believe less number OF stsmin ate
hi Is would be desirable, and possibly none
would be better Ali vines that appear early in
the season are trained the first year. Nothing is
required but TO keep the ground well cultivated
py frequent plowing aud narrowing and TO keep
the hills free from weeds and grasses by hand
culture Cultivation after the second year is
more expensive when grubblng is required, but
after yard is thoroughly established it would
seem that no amount OF ill-treaiment would
xiii or subdue it. Deep culture up to the time
the bloom appears is attended by best results.
After that the road Is b ocked by the arms reach
ing across the rows aud interiocking until there
ground becomes matted with fine roots that.
shoot up 10 the surface and are so numerous
that pin could hardly be stuck into the ground
without encounteiing one. Training. requires
constant vigilance n order that each pole may
be stocked with the requisite number of vines
and that the excess of vines that take TO the
poles NAV be fought down.
Hop picking is one of the picturesque scenes
OF Washington. The work OF harvesting is done
principally by Indians who come from all parts
of the state, from British Columbia anu even
from Alaska. Ii is the time OF the year when
the Indian is sure Of work sufficient to enable
him TO buy his winter stores. Most of them
reach the hop yards in their canoes, which,
hewn from single logs, seem clumsy and unsafe
10 the white man, but IN watch the Indians
brave even the tempests of the ocean. Hun
dreds and even thousands OF these canoes in
the early autumn are II be seen on the waters of
Puget sound, and the beaches are covered with
temporary camps. From the shores OF the Pa
cifc of British Columbia and beyond,
whole tribes EN- bark, pass through the Gulf OF
Georgia and across the Strait OF Fuca and paddle
up the Sound Tor the sole purpose of being pres
ent AT the hop-picki1g and spending the money
earned in blankets, gsudy calico and other
stores 70 last uuiil the next season OF plenty.
Men women, and even children just able TO
walk engage in the work, and are all industri-
ous az long as the season asts- Their paiGted