The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-06-27
THE HOP LICE INCREASING.
Nearly All the Growers Spraying Fields
Crop Lighter Than Last Years.

Nearly All the Growers Spraying Fields
Crop Lighter Than Last Years.
PUYAILUP, June 25. - Especial. i z.
Meeker &; Co. have five horsepower
sprayers at the yards containing $50 acres
at Kent belonging to the Puyallup Hop
Company. These Mr.. Meeker thinks will
spray each four or five acres per day. All
of these will not be used constantly, but
will be ready TO be put to work lmmedi-
ately if the lice increase fast enough TO de-
mand it. Already in this yard 100 acres
have been sprayed once, but much trouble
is experienced this year IN spraying large
areas. as the work must be stopped when
it rains and when The wind blows, which
has been very often this spring.
+. Meeker last week visited Oregon as
far south as Eugene, examining the hop
yards. and found. he thought, many more
lice there than here, and what is worse,
they are not preparing themselves to fight
them as the growers appear to be doing here.
Out OF forty-four horse power sprayers sold
here only four go to Oregon, and one OF
those is for a Puyallup man who is raising
hops there.
Mr.. Query, of Elhi, has twenty-three
acres OF hops which he will spray with a
successful ones last year, is about COM
mencing TO spray with horsepower
sprayer, using quassia chips and whale
oil soap. n preparation called quas-
sian has been put upon the
market here, and is composed
OF quassia chips and whale oil soap already
mixed and prepared. 1t is supposed to do
the work as effectually as the quassia
hall Ill 4
trouble of preparation. The cost is little
less if the directions are complied with,
but upon trial it is found that in order TO
make it as eifectual as the quassia chips
and whale oil soap it must be made
stronger than the directions, and if this is
done 1t brings the cost equal 10 or greater
than the unprepared. Charles Cook, Mr..
Greene on Mrs. Aiden's yard and num-
Der OF others have been using the quassian
and have been tolerably successful, arriv-
ing at the above conclusion. Others have
used it and stamp it a failure, but they
might not have succeeded with anything,
Experience shows that the quassia chips
and whale oil soap is preferable TO any
thing else that has been used.
The hop lice are increasing. and every
body Is an ious to begin the work of ex-
terminating them. Many this year will
buy horsepower sprayers and give fair
trial, but many DO not feel able to buy
them because they feel so uncertain of the
result. Where several growers near to-
gether have small yards it might pay
them to buy horsepower sprayer in
company. as, according to the trials a
sprayer will go over from four to six
acres per day. The amount of ground
covered during the day is measured largely
by the time lost in retilling the tank with
emulsion, so it pays the grower to have
his emulsion as near at hand as possible
by the calculation made by the Puyal-
lup Hop Company one sprayer is
able to take care of twenty-six acres well
and many do not cultivate over twelve
acres, and from that down TO six acres
Some growers do not seem to appreciate
the delicacy of plant life, and may try so
many different experiments TO save few
dollars that before they know it their
hons will be gone, root and vine.
Complaints are already coming in that
the hops do not come out as it had been
anticipated they would as soon as the
warm weather arrived, and they are still
backward, and likely 10 remain SO. Where
last year 1000 pounds were grown per acre
this year not more than i,500 pounds may
he expected. and this is not the exception,
but the rule. Last year many growers
battered themselves that by one
means or another, aside from the advised
spraying, they would be able to overcome
the lice. and that the buyers would not he
able to tell how badly the hops looked
upon the vine after they were picked,
cured and doctQred. Some tried ore thing
and others tried something else, but the
complaint of unhealthy, or rather OF weak
vines, Is universal. Another cause as
signed by the observant is that the vines
bled themselves weak last fall. After
most OF the sap had been absorbed by the
lice. and before what little sap there was
left had returned TO the root after the ma
turing OF the flower and seed, 10 remain
for the winter, the vines were cut, thus
stealing from the root the little susie
nance that il otherwise would have had.
Some pruned too close in their anxiety TO
get rid of the pests, but any one at ali ac-
quajnted with plant life knows that prun-
ing ana cutting cannot 60 on ut ali times
OF the year with safety 10 the plant
We are not going through an experience
totally new So We need not entirely fall,
but only stumble, If We are willing 70
learn Ivy the experience OF others. Ezra
Meekrr, who always tries very hard 10 sue
coed in whatever he undertakes. was the
hrst, or nearly the lrSt. 10 introduce hons
into this valley. lie has spent much time
ami money in learning the ways Of both
England a1d Germany in regard 10 the hop
growing am curing aud has visited those
countries ! number of years. Mr.. Meeker.
with the knowledge thus gained. - Very
sanEulne OF success here with the hops IN
spite Of the CayageS OK the hop lice Bar
in order 70 succeed II Is much better to
follow some plan which has been expert
mented With. "a long as there j.
such formula. rather than try
number of years with something
which has never been tried. II grower
wishes TO experiment. let him use Ger
tam part Of his yard for that purpose. ana
something valuable might be CLEANED r,G-
Aaps once in dozen times and the balk
ol the ward treated IN a way which Ia,
nine chances in ten OF being successful.
because having been tried before with sue
cess almost guaranteed.
4 rreat many are building more hop
kl,us, 50 IS IA be a3le - pick IN q veg
short tsue. and just when the hops are ii
the right point. and he able 70 dry then.
properly. When TIE lice are :roUhIesom,
u appears that the hop changes very ra'-
idly, arta a.ter maturing they spoil very
quickly.
J. 7. MeeNee Is visiting the hop grower
n Oregon.