The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-08-15
CONDITION OF HOPS.
Showers Have Been Beneficial
to Growth of Vines.
LICE FOUND IN THE BURR,
Results Of Spraying and Not Spraying
Estimates on State field at From
$4,000 to $4,000 Balee.

PuYALLuP. Aug. 12.-[Special. There
seems to be very little change in the hops
from last week; the few light showers
which have fallen during the week have
been refreshing for the hops, but have had
tendency to drive the lice into the burr,
which is deplorable. All the yards re-
ported are in bloom and many show the
burr half or three-quarters grown. A
number of small yards were visited last
week in which the hand sprayer is used
and has been used from the start. The
ground in these yards did not present as
clean an appearance as many other yards
in which the roller sprayer had been used.
Whether this was due to the kind of
sprayer used or simply the result of more
or less cultivation cannot be said. These
yards do not appear to be as free from lice
as in yards in which the roller sprayer has
been thoroughly used. A vine from one
of the above-named yards was examined.
and in half-grown burr was found with
the naked eye two lice, and dozen or
more of the insects were upon one half
grown leaf, although the smaller leaves
were free from vermin. When q yard at
this time presents this appearance it is
said by the best informed that strictly
choice hop cannot be harvested in said
yard. The more extensive growers have
invested in zinc tanks something similar
in shape to a bath tub, with a false rack
bottom of wood, which is fastened to one
end of the bottom inside with hinges, and
used to mix the emulsion by raising and
lowering the loose end. They are placed
in the field and fire is built under them.
In the smaller yards long pole is placed
on two crotches and dve-gallon oil cans,
powder cans, etc., are strung upon this
pole, usually four, five or six cans. and a
fire is kept up under them, so that the
emulsion is being prepared while the
spraying is carried on.
One woman owns a small yard, and for
several years has let the work OF cultiva-
ton to different persons, has store in
town which occupies her attention, but
each year her hopyard brought her scarcely
anything, being so poorly attended to.
This year the man who was hired to culti-
vate the yard did the work we'll, but was
unable to spray properly, and so informed
her. She left her business in town, it be-
ing the dull season, in charge OF a clerk,
bought her materials for spraying, hired
men and went into the yard to oversee the
work, with such success so far that her
side hers, which are owned and worked by
old hop growers, and one of these assert
ing he had the cleanest yard in the state.
When one of her three men left her en-
ployment, she drove the horse attached to
the stone boat which carried the barrel of
emulsion, and did the pumping as the two
men sprayed the rows with q ten-foot iron
tubing which received the emulsion
yl, frh
through the fine nozzle attached to the
end of the iron tubing, which, at the end.
for six or eight inches. was turned at right
angles.
Not much authoritative knowledge can
be cleaned this year from any source as to
the price, quantity and quality of hops to
be harvested. Of course, this is usually
the fact in regard to hops more than with
any other product, and also with this
state, as statistics are not kept as in older
states, and everything changes oftener
than when the people are more settled.
But the difficulty this year to judge at all
accurately is due to the unfavorable sea-
son, the presence of vermin here, and the
uncertainty of the crop in other localities,
which at present indicates shortage
| enough in all hop growing regions
One hop buyer, recently from the East,
went so far as to predict an 1882 season
and so 900 bales of hops for Washington.
AS far as known this is the only person
making quite SO favorable an estimate as
to price, as 81 and over per pound for hops
| comes very seldom. As to quantity, an
other hop buyer estimates the crop at
| IS, 600 bales, but he is only new conner.
| All the old growers here think the crop
will be very much lighter than either of
| the above estimates. none of them placing
| their estimate obove 81, 900 bales. J. Fer
| nandez thinks there will not be over 5000
| bales, and perhaps not over 10000. c. W..
| Stewart thinks that with the best results
that can be expected from now on there
| will not be harvested over $4,000 bales. and
| possibly only 10000. NJ. ]. Meeker thinks
| the latter will be the amount of the crop.
| One cause of the uncertainty OF the crop
here and the inability TO accurately esti-
mate it is the numberless ways pursued by
| the grower in his treatment of the vermin.
| This bad effect was predicted by the better
| informed last spring, and they talked long
| and loud, and all battered themselves that
| q great deal of good had been accom-
! plished; but these gentlemen have been
visiting the outlying yards and were sur
| prised to find that so little heed had been
| given TO the knowledge which they had
| tried so hard to disseminate. One gentle
| man in q ride eastward came across one
ward that was unsprayed. He came across
many such, but usually he stopped and
| took n sample of the hops and found the
yermin. without eniightening the owner.
| But at this one yard the owner was pres
| ent, and he was telling how clean his yard
| was; that he had not sprayed, and that
| the vermin had not entered the burr. etc.
| The gentleman told him there was vermin
| there and when the owner denied this he
| picked the nearest burr which was three
| quarter inches in diameter. and with a
| glass he discovered nine lice in the divided
burr. So day after day the same story
! Is told-that the lice are doing them
! no HARM Beside those growers wiIlfuliv
! ignorant are those whom circums stances
| have caused to neglect the work at just
the time il should have been done. One
| grower for instance, who took good care
| OF his hops last year and was one Of the
| haif.dCZen who succeeded In getting q
| good Weld, neglected his hops just at the
wrong time 10 get in his hay this year. and
| so ID goes They already see the conse.
Quences. but they know it is too late now
To effect much betterment, but they will
scarcely take such chances again. but next
wear hops very likely will only bring 10 OF
Il cents pound.
The last 6oo pounds of quassia chips was
received yesterday, and only 800 or Al
hounds of these are left, There is plenty