The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-05-09
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HOPS AND IEOp-LICE
Uncertainty About the Vermiu--Why
Some of the Roots Died.


PUyALLUP, May S.-[Special. The hop
growers are studying the hop in its many
aspects. G. W. Stewart, who for the past
month has been travelling nearly all the
time among the growers, states that there
are hop-lice everywhere if they are looked
for. The insect in the ground Is not the
hop aphis, but the real aphis is present
now upon the young vines. Mr.. Stewart
has found the eggs and fly both upon the
alder, bareback and salmonberry. J. Fer
nandez, also an old hop grower, on the
contrary, thinks that the hop aphis has
not yet appeared, and that the insects in
the ground and on the vine are the same,
and that it is not yet time for
the real hop-louse to make its
appearance. There are many points of
difference which he has noted, having
given it careful attention, the body of the
hop aphis being fiat oval in shape, with
pale green legs, the antennie being light
green, the young ones white, with the
honey tubes situated at the extreme end
of the body; while the insect now found is
larger, with a round oval body, black legs,
black antenna and shorter than the hop
aphis, with the honey tubes partly upon
its back and the motions entirely different,
the last described being very quick of mo-
ton. He also thinks 1t is not time for the
appearance of the hop louse. and this
would agree with Professor Riley.
A man has just appeared in Puyaflup.
stating that he has just arrived from Eng
land with long list of testimonials and
that he has had thirty years experience
with hops in England and that he has
l,ot, ln. hnir
hops. He has already found in c. II.
Ross yard hard-back, scaly, brownish-
yellow worm which ne calls a wire worm,
such as they have in England, which, he
says, very soon destroys the hop root. 1t
is true q few of Mr.. Ross hops appear TO
be not in the best condition, but, being
situated upon very wet piece of ground,
Mr.. Ross thought 1t was due 10 the ex-
treme wet weather instead of any
worm or insect. Mr.. Ross also states
that the cultiyator remarked that there
was not as many roots this year as usual,
but this probably was due to the absOrp-
ton of the sap last year by the lice instead
of its going 10 form new roots. One of
the papers stated that hops were dying up
the valley and it is thought that the lice
last year caused the trouble, as where the
lice were thickest there was the mos
trouble. Whether We really have another
pest to fight remains to be seen. No re-
ports have reached here of hops dying to
any extent, and when they have died
there seems to have been sufficient caUs
in either too wet soil or tho sap being alb
sorbed by the hop louise.
The market in New YORK being a little
better than London has caused the ship
ment of hops from London back TO New
York, which has had the tendency OF
bringing the New York market down and
the London up. This shows how closely
allied the two markets are. Many growers
are very much encouraged in regard to the
price for the coming crop, as some remark
that they never knew the country TO be SO
thoroughly drained of hops so early III tn
wear as ii is now.