The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-09-03

as soon as cured, direct from the kiln, and
yet we are often asked the question. "Will
it do to bale hops while hot?" We an
swer, eyes" The sooner the hops are
baled after being cured the better the
quality, particularly in this climate. where
the hops begin Immediately to tougher
(absorb moisture) and pack down fiat and
iifeless. Our English customers, to whom
we have been able to sell in thousand bale
lots, always caution us against dead
samples" and call for and bid highest on
those soft, silky, springy hops" which
are always from those lots that have been
thoroughly cured and early baled.
Next to baling 'hot" the baling whole is
of greatest importance. Broken hops are
never 80 valuable as "those samples where
the hops lie like eggs in basket" as our
correspondent aptly put it.
Hops are usually broken somewhat in
getting them off the kiln, where they have
to be showed off," but the greatest de-
struction is caused by tramping into the
press. This ''tramping" of cured hons
should never be tolerated by any INTEL
gent grower, now that we can have such
admirable presses as the latest improved
are.
Another difficulty We have experienced
and which We wish to caution our Gus
toners against, is the practice of sewing
the sides of the bales with single Irvine.
We have actually from this cause lost the
entire identity Of whole bales of hops In
baling, the press should be brought down
so that the side cloth will overlap, and
then should be sewed with the lock stitch
with double threads of four ply Irvine,
These may be counted as small things to
write about, but the fact remains, that the
grower who puts up his hops in the best
condition. will, in the long run, get the
highest price. and it is to his interest as
well as ours that he should have the best
hops.
The tendency of late years has been to
pick too early. Particularly has this been
the case for the last two years, on account
of the ravages being made by the lice.
This is the poorest kind of economy; it is
like "kiliing the goose that lays the golden
eggs" for, lice or no lice, the yards so
picked will present sorry appearance the
following year with less than half a crop.
Besides, hops so picked are next to worth
less to consumers. and tend to throw dis
credit upon the whole district where such
are known TO come from, and all growers
to some extent suffer in consequence.
We are time and again asked to give the
size of hop boxes. There is no law regu-
lating this except that of custom. The
size most generally in use, which is the
in "Hop Culture" as follows:
These standard boxes, now generally
adopted, are five feet ten inches long, hy
two feet ten inches wide at the top, and
four feet four inches in length by one foot
four inches in width at the bottom, all
inside measure. The corner posts are
made Of fir, two inches square; the bot
tom is also made of fir. and should be one
piece of three-quarter-inch stuff. The
sides and ends measure overweight
inches in depth on the slope, and
consist first az the bottom of fir, one by
four inches. and TO which the bottom
board is securely nailed; next above this is
half-inch cedar, then next above this on
the sides. clear strip of fir one and q
quarter by four inches and eight feet
long, which project at each end
and are of a shape suited for use
as handles with which to carry the box;
above this is another ten-inch cedar. The
upper edge Of this should be thickiy driven
full of brads or lath nails to prevent pick
ers from siyIy reducing the size OF the box
by splitting off part of the top board. At
the ends, the four-by-one-and-a-qua
inch fir strip, to correspond to that of
the handle, hould be at the top, as pro-
lection from breaking by weight of po les
laid on it."