The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-05-22

upon this plan is detriment to the hop
interest in Washington in more ways than
one. 1t is well-known fact that simply
thorough cultivation is one of the means
which works very effectively against the
hop louise A yard not cultivated we'll
will produce more vermin than it other
wise would, and when these hops are put
upon the market ii tends to weaken the
market for Washington hops by giving
them poor name. The spring or 1879
was similar to this in regard to the finan-
cial condition of this part of the country.
The fall before hops had been very low,
and il was very hard to get the money to
properly care for the hops while growing.
c. w Stewart thought he would work on
the economical plan, and. as he expressed
it, used more muscle than brains,
by cultivating his hops what he
could himself, which was about two-thirds,
and at harvest time he received two
third price. If he had expended $500
through the summer for cultiva.ing he
would have received at harvest time 5000
more than he did. Then he made up his
mind that he would never do the same
again, and that if hops were worth culti-
waiting at all they were worth cuItivat!ng
cultivate and spray to the best of his
knowledge. On May IA Z. Bartlett finished
training, with the exception of few back
ward vines which will have to- De seen to
later Mr. Bartlett has twenty-five acres.
and they are as high as his head. Last year
Messrs. Bartlett. Dana, Fernandez and
Frank Potter were the only ones around
Puyallup who came anywhere near max
s,,e. -. n-tfa Oft
spent $50 for kerosene, which he used
faithfully as a spray, and his verdict
is that it is worthless. for he lost all
thus sprayed, but he saved nearly all
sprayed with the quassia chips. He had
twelve acres; spent for spraying $500, and
made $1,000 He commenced spraying
about the middle of June. but was most
successful in the middle of July, when the
lice had assembled as high as his head and
the hop was in flower. He trimmed all
the leaves off as high as the lice had gone,
and carted them off and burned them,
thus getting rid of millions at a cost of
$3.50 or So per acre, much more cheaply
and effectively than if he had tried to
spray those leaves. This pruning had no
bad effect, and left the vines in fine con-
dition for the sprayer, which was imme-
diately put to work. Mr.. Bartlett studied
his hops carefully last year, and is certain
that if the leaves are left upon the ground
the lice will ascend the vine. and that
yards divided by fence and only few
feet of unplowed ground may be consid-
cred as one yard in regard to the migra-
tons of the lice. Professor Riley says
that the lice will not go from one yard to
another, but the yards must be some dis
lance apart and not like those around
Puyallup. Mr.. Bartlett thinks that he
has had lice already this year, but
that the lady bugs, OF which there are
great numbers, have devoured them all
at present. If the lice are troublesome
Mr.. Bartlett expects to save fully nine
tenths of his crop at cost of $500 or 800
for spraying. and he has twenty-five
acres. Last year he would have made
nothing without spraying. and he would
advise the removal of the leaves by all
means. as he himself will do again this
year.
J. Fernandez commenced training to-
day, waiting this late to save going over
again. He will commence spraying next
Monday. Mr.. Fernandez, although look
ing for lice each day, did not succeed in
finding what he calls the aphis until May
H. This agrees with Professor Riley,
who says that they arrive on the hop vine
from the middle of May to the middle of
June. Mr.. Fernandez began spraying last
year on the Goth of June, which was alto
gether too late, as he used hand pump,
which is slow work.
Hops this spring are backward, but if
the warm weather continues they will
grow very fast, having gained three feet in
the past week.