The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-07-24
This Years Short Crop Due More ia
Abuse of the Vines Than tn Lice

This Years Short Crop Due More to
Abuse of the Vines Than to Lice.
PUYALLuP, July 2a1Special. Tho last par.
Gel OF land, consisting of something little less
than forty acres, of Ezra Meeker's old donation
claim, which forms the southeast quarter of the
city of Puyalup, is being cleared and fitted this
fall for the setting OF hops next spring. This
will make yard of about fifty acres, as there
now are about nine acres of hops in a strip south
and east of this forty acres.
j. Fernandez is spraying the third time, and
can find no lice in his yard to amount to any
thing. The tank of his sprayer holds seventy
five gallons, SO that is the quantity of emulsion
which he prepares at once To the seventy five
gallons of water he ADDS three pounds of so per
cent whale oil soap and five gallons extract OF
Quassia chips, prepared as follows: Fifty
pounds of quassia chips are put to soak in sixty
gallons of cold water, and allowed to remain
eight or ten hours, after which the extract thus
made is drawn off and sixty gallons more of hot
water is turned on tho same chips and allowed
to simmer for six seven hours but not to
boil. This is then drawn Off, and the chips,
which seem to be just as bitter as at first, are
thrown away for fear, as there has been no
chemical analysis as yet, that the chips have
lost some of their qualities. Mr.. Fernan-
DEE brings forward strange theory, especially
to people ignorant of the more intricate organ
isms of plant life, growth, disease and cure,
which, if proven to be a fact, allies plant life
very nearly to human life. In cases of debility
he administers stimulant According to Mr..
Fernandez only the soap is death to the vermin,
the quassia not being applied for that purpose
at all. The emulsion or the soap alone would,
without the ad dirion of the Quassia chips, form
a coating on whatever it touches and this coat
ing, covering all the air cells that it touches,
would leave only those cells which escape for the
carrying on of the proper functions of the air.
cells in supplying the plant with air and mois-
ture This interference with the functions Of
the aircells debiIitates the plant, and
the extract of quassa is administered
to stimulate the plant, just as quinine
Is administered to man as a stimulant in cases
OF debility Now, for this reason, as the season
advances and the lice having been kept down,
Mr.. Fernandez will reduce the proportion of
soap and increase the proportion OF Quassia ex-
tract thus administering more stimulant than
OF the facilitating part Of the emulsion, as soon
IA the absence of the vermin will allow. Mr.
Fernandez estimates the extra cost of fighting
the hop aphis to a successful issue TO be ST. 10
per acre. This includes. besides the expense of
emulsion, spraying and application, the extra
expense arising from the extra cultivation of
the ground which 1t needs. When the yermin
are present. a well and thoroughly cultivated
yard is one of the important factors of preven-
ton. Extra pruning, too is needed, as on the
heavy soil only two vines are left and on
lighter soil three four left, but
not more than this when the growth is
so luxuriant it is an impossibiity to
reach the surface OF the leaves enough
with the emulsion to destroy the vermin to any
extent The estimated cost per pound is ia
cents on the crop so treated, the extra cost of
caring for yard infested with vermn is not
very expensive when the returns are counted.
Mr.. Fernandez does not expect more than
half crop this year, and estimates the output
of the crop this year to be 5000 bales, while the
halA e. Q
Washington. Thompson & Voce will not har-
vest over 1850 pounds to the acre this year,
when usually they get 800 or 2,cO0 pounds per
acre. while others in the same vicinity will not
harvest over 400 pounds to the acre
In regard To the health Of the plants Mr.. Fer
nandez thinks now that they will regain by
next spring, ii they are we'll wintered, provided
tie best OF care has been taken OF them since
early last spring. BY being well wintered he
means that at picking time the vines should not
be cut at all or If cut, IL should be six or seven
feet from the ground and quantity of leaves
left on 10 retain the sap. Last year the usual
custom was followed Of cutting the vine loot
or eighteen inches from the ground, when the
unusual custom had been pursued of pruning
ali the lower leaves. This left a short vine des-
titute of leaves, and some hills bied so freely
n to soak the ground around. A sufficient
quantity OF leaves must remain on the plant to
retain the sap until such time, which is
usually ABOUT December, tnal nature re-
turns 1t 10 the root for the next
season and plenty of fertilizer must be used
This course, il pursued, will in all proba biIity
bring the plant out all right next spring; If this
course is not pursued il will take at least two
years Tor full crop to be realized ii the plant
does not die entirely.
NJ J. Meeker has arrived from Southern Cali
foraia To oversee his large hop yard situated
east Of Puyallup. L. Meeker < co. have about
1000 or 500 pounds of quassia chips lett, but
all Of this is contracted except 900 pounds
The Puyaliup Hardware C0mpanyihave sold sew
enty-hve sprsyers and have two more IN course
OF construction, which is all they think they
Will turn out this season.
Phil Neis, OLD hop buyer, estimates the
crop a. 5000 bales A. c. Campbell, an Old hop
grower and buyer. says that Mr.. Fernantez's es-
innate Is too low, and Neis' too large. The crop
within the last lew days has improved very
much, and 10 thinks there Will be tYo-thirds
crop
Diamond smuggler Arrested.
NEW York. July 2-Much secrecy ia mani