The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-11-22
NOTHING DOING In HOPS.
Some Buyers Haven't Made Purchase
Poor Bal ca UnsalabIe,

FUyALLUp Nov 21-Tsuecial. EE Meeker &
Co. received a cablegrain from London last Mon
day announcing the first arrival in London OF
this seasons shipments, consisting of SO bales.
80 oil which were sold in the 10 ndon market.
On the 18th this firm had reported 535 bales
bought III Oregon and IS bales here, the latter
being William Slythes crop, at 16 cents. Mr..
Siythc lad been offered IS cents by this same
firm several weeks ago. One hundred and
twenty bales were purchased in Oregon at Is TO
20 cents. On the 18th 172 bales of mediums
bought in Oregon at Is cents. On Friday J.
Fernandezs Ia bales were purchased at 20 cents.
Chris Kincaid, of Sumner, sold his hops, Isl
bales. to Uhlman Bros. for $1,000 or abou. 20
cents per pound. This is the product OF thirty
acres. Mr.. kincaid had expected to get thirty
tons instead of twenty eight, and % cents per
pound instead OF 20 cents. Twenty-eight tons is
good yield for this year. NJ. kincaid used
horsepower sprayer Of his own manufacture
which did very efficient work, but was rather
expensive in the waste of emulsion But in get
ting 20 cents per pound Mr.. K.ncaid has
certainly cleared 10 cents per pound, aimee any
one can raise hops for 10 cents per pound This
same firm has also purchased the crop of Fred
Balck.
If Puyallup does not look to her laurcls she
Will cease TO be the hop center of this region OF
country. Why there is such stagnation in the
hop business 1t is hard TO say. F. Meeker & Co.
have sold in London $3.50 bales OF hops and
bought about 1900 bales, most of them in Ore
gon, with a lew Washingtons. which it appears
is the cream of the crop. 1t is reported that
kiaber has bought some $50 bales, and perhaps
two other buyers number of bales. A few
other agents have not bought a hop. Some of
the buyers, when asked why this state OF things
prevailed, replied that they could not tell, but
their orders TO buy did not coincide with the
growers prices. E. Mecker was asked as to his
estimate of the crop at present, and if the hops
lot iy, mo INF IN hn hp,-h har
piled that he could not estimate now any nearer
than several weeks ago lie SAID there were
plenty of hops in the market which go begging
at - cents.
Joe Fernandez has said all the summer that
he had a clean hop and would get a good price
compared with Others, and it is now proved, as
Mr.. Meekcr, the purchaser, said his hops were
fine and had good color, equal to O-egons and
they brought their price in London. Mr.. Meeker
said that, aside from his own opinion, il was
proven in London as Mr.. Fernandez's sample,
which was among numerous Others from Wash
ington and Oregon, received the highest
bid. Mr.. Meeker said this was due to
three things-absence of vermin, thorough
curing and immediate baling All of these
points Nh Meeker, who has studied very closely
for years the London market, emphasizes at
every opportunity, but many growers at the be-
ginning of the season imagine they know
better way themselves, and insist on pursuing
comes time to put their wares upon the market
they are very much chagrined To find that no
one cares much 10 become the possessor OF a
crop that was raised backward. Ii the market
is first studied and then ell things ben. toward
furnishing product to fit that market the
product is sold, you might say, before it is pro-
duced, without any trouble, and, what is more
at the highest market price. a few growers
will raise better hops next year than this but
great many will not, because they cannot do Il
thing before they are pushed TO it, and the
yermn increase so gradually and the effects
are so slow in becoming apparent that with the
ordinary grower his crop Is ruined before he is
aware OF the fact.
Robert Wilson was talking the other day about
old times and how easy 1t was to get a loan OF
money in those days In 1883 he, in COMPANY
with +. 0. Meeker, put out the ten acres that
form the triangular piece in what is now known
as the Puget Sound Dressed Beef and Packing
company 5 yard at Meeker. Prices for hops
were high then, ana this yard was put on. as an
experiment The ground was leased from +.
Mceker, and in the spring OF 1883 hops were put
out. The rows were seven feet apart and the
roots three and one-half feet apart, so as 10
get the largest returns possible The first
year 1900 pounds to the acre were harvested ana
oil expenses were paid. The second year every
other hill in the row was hoed up leaving all
the hills seven feet apart, which is the usual
method. This year, 1854. there were harvested
300 pounds TO the acre, the profits of which
were used in buying the ten-acre tract situated
south OF the packing house yard, and in the
famous strip OF peat running through Puyallup
on the south, and said to be inexhaus;ible in,
point OF fertility, being part OF tho John
Mannett claim. This year Messrs. Meeker d
Wilson dissolved partnership, Mr. Meeker taking
the yard for the Gnexpired year and Mr. Wilson
the ten acres. which he cleared and pu, out five
acres into hops. In 1857, when pickers were
scarce. ne paid $3.50 bonus to get pickers from
Portland. and then cleared SD on his five
acres. though he lost considerable by the hons
not being pit ked al the right time.
a cablegrdm from London las. week offered
Is to % cenIA The London marke. is ahead Of
the New YORK market.
A. c. Campbell 10 Offering 10 and 20 cents for
the quality Of hops that he cannot find here
Z. Neeker d Go. have NJ present seven mo,
occupied in some way In the purchasing ~
hops il Oregon, and two in California
Portland Grain Market.
PORTLAND, Nov. 2L-tSpeclal Whea.-DulI
and weak; Valley, tL20G 22ls: wslla waIIa