The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-09-04
HOP PICKING IN PROGRESS.
No Scarcity OF Help So 5Far-Growers
Who Sprayed Will Haze Big Crop.


No Scarcity Of Help So .Far-Growers
Who Sprayed will Haze Big Crop.
PuYALLuP, Sept. 3.-(Specsal. THE hop
pickers never entered the yards before
with as little hustle in Puyallup as they
do this year. In years before the depot,
streets and stores would be crowded for
several weeks before hop-lacking began,
and also several weeks at the end of hop
picking. The depots and srains from Sc
attic and Tacoma are now crowded with
pickers, but they appear to go immediate
ly to their destination and remain there,
as not more than family Earty has been
seen together moving abous the streets.
One Klickitat Indian was seen. who says
his people will pick east of tse mountains
this fall. Two or three Neah bay Indians,
with their pretty reed basgets for sale.
we're noticed upon the streets. Two Nes-
qualify squaws were sitting IN front of
grocery store, who said they were going
to pick for John Meeker, sho had en-
ployed them for many years. There is no
difficulty thus far in securing pickers, but
it is little early to tell whether there
will be plenty or not, as moss Of the grow
ers who have taken good care of
their hops by spraying have not
yet commenced and will not until near the
10th. There are few exceptions to this,
as the difference in the soil, which is often
noticed in close proximity, Will ripen one
mans hops much quicker than his neigh
boris. This is the case with ]. p. Stewards
yard of ten acres on the Puyallup river
bank. which ripens every year before any
others except the very early variety, of
which several growers have a small guam
tlty. Mr.. Stewart began picking Septem-
ber 1 and finds his hops fine and practically
free from vermin. A few who began pick
ing IN August have had to STOP operations.
finding their hops too green. There seems
to be a carefulncss among the growers this
year to have their hops fully ma.ured be-
fore picking, and this is wise conclusion,
because early picking not only ruins the
crop harvested but also ruIrss the plant
itself.
One man has contracted twelve tons of
hops at Is cents. He wishes now that he
had his contract back. He anticipates
six tons above his contract.
Mrs. N. J. Ross, the woman who was
mentioned in previous article as over
seeing her hop yard herself during the
spraying process. is very busy now as
field boss. The pickers, thirty-tive in
number, are now at work in J. NJ. Ogle's
yard. and expect to go into Mrs. Ross
yard Monday. Mrs. Ross, " no has owned
her yard for three years, is we'll pleased
with her summers work. During the
two previous years the yard vas rented,
and the hops harvested were so poor that
they could scarcely be sold as any price.
Through poor cultivation the ground was
so matted this spring and in such poor
condition that it looked very dubious if
there would be any crop off it this year,
no matter how good care was taken of it,
but Mr.. Ogle plowed 1t and succeeded in
getting the ground into very good con-
dition, and then Mrs Ross hired the hoe
ing, pruning and spraying done, over
seeing it herself, and taking hand for q
short time whenever her men failed her.
BY this means she has gotten q good crop
of hops, which are very free fro,sn yermin
and tolerabIy heavy. She has not con-
tracted them, and will not sell until after
they are baled.
A number of Quillayute Indians arrived
September and made the streets lively
for time buying their supplies A num-
ber of whites have arrived from the coun-
try between Tacoma and the Columbia
river on the Northern Pacific railroad.
All are very economical in buying their
supplies-a frying-pan, coffee pot, tin
plate and cup being Indispensable with a
few necessary groceries. One firm has
already sold $500 worth of birthstone, bu.
not much hop sacking as yet. Many were
not positive of their crop, and if they had
no hops they would want no sacging, and
would have no money with which to pay
| for any. The slow sale of the sackinc
| would give the impression that many
| growers will not bale their hops hot, fresh
from the kiln, as recommended by the
best authorities, but will bale after the
| hons are all dried. This is tn be de-
| piored, as ii causes one more handling
| thus breaking the hop. Again. the lyine
In bulk causes the hops to gather damp
ness more than if they were protected by
the sacklng in compact bales.
| }. Fernandez will commence picking
about the latter part of next week. and an
ticipates harvesting from his twelve acre.
about twelve tons. There may not bs
much over eleven tons, as the yard is yer,
uneven. Some parts will yield OYER a tor
To the acre, while other places Will yielc
less. This yard is practically free from
1
| sprayer in the middle of July, and the
man To whom he sold il has saved hi.
crop. No horse power has been slsed ir
| Mr.. Fernandez's yard since, but he wen,
| once through with hand sprayer. finish
ing this about August 20, since which tim,
no spraying has been done. Mr. gernan
deg says now that % cents per pound vii
satisfy him, although he has fine hops.
+. Meeker Il Co. have already eeceiyet
six samples of hops from California. nea
San Francisco, and five samplea from
| North Yakima, duplicates of which h,
has sent TO London and New York,
| The large Old kiln belonging to r
Meeker. in Puyaiiup. began rnnniag Sep
,emoer /. This would indicate tKat III,
Junction yard was being picked, although
they are late hop. The Puyallap Ho,
| Company's yards at Kent will t-e com
nenced about the 10th instant. ard viii
continue some time, as they have {. larg,
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