St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1892-01-16
HOP.cROWINo.

y AN ~ An i 1O9 4OO6s
HoP-oR0WlNo.
4 Few Polnts Coaessnlng - Intsrestsn(
lndastry.
After leaving the city Of Syracuse
the tourist going east on the ears a
the New York Central railroad rides sol
over IN hour through the heart Of The
hop-growing region. On both sides oi
the railroad track he sees the fieidl
studded with thousands and thousanda
Of poles with clinging vineA Il u q
picturesque sight-the winding. climb
ing. dark-green vines with their yellow
ish-green fruitage. These fields are ~
q clean - . wellkept garden
Perchance the traveller may Be inter.
ested and ask questions, Is did the lit
tie boy In tho next seat to ~ 'Dh,
look, papa! See al thoae big poles.' -
he exclaimed
That's . hop-yard." replied his
father, - he looked for the hundkrdth
time at the fields That's where they
grow hopA"
"And how do they grow hopsr' The
boy persisted
neutrality-suspicious. poles
and-hem-put theIu-in the ground.
and then they-sh--let the vines run
mp" -..
Evidently. 'paps" was not going "a
venture beyond his depth. and SO he
maintained Afterwards . discreet T.
lence. There Is q great deal to be said
about the practical side Of hop.grow-
ing-about setting the poles. grubting
the roots. stringing the yard with
twine. trimming and tying the vineA
and ''hilling up" Suffice IL to aay,
that few products of the farm are tho
source of more work, worry and ex-
pense than the hop crop which quickly
exhausts the soil. as the ashes Of the
strobiles contain . large amount Of
potash and phosphoric acid.
In September. when the hop crop ID
ready for harvesting. there II . great
demand for pickers. They come from
different quarters. Hundreds Of men.
women and children flock to the hop
fields from the neighboring cities
from Syracuse. Utica and Oaeida.
Most Of them are expert pickers, and
they look eagerly forward TO the hop
crop. These people go to make money.
while others 60 principally for q. good
time. Two years ago the experiment
was tried Of bringing band Of Italian
pickers from New York city, bat the
''dagos'' proved to be clumsy and in
efficient The Indians and half bseeda.
who come from the Onondaga rese.va-
tion. are rated as among the most ex-
pert pickers in the yard They hive in
cabins. having hunks arranged in what
il known as Bowery lodging house
style They board themselves. and. -
. rule. they are quiet and orderly.
There In trouble sometimes when ''fire-
water is smuggled in. A number of
young people from the country towns
and llages take . hand in picking.
The girls want to earn money for .
new dress or bonnet. aud the boys are
perhaps ''saving up for some selfish or
purposs.
Tho pickers are paid BY the bug.
which will hold about seven buaAels
The prices are usually regulated hystAs
Hop -Growers' association. They sary
according TO whether pickers are oonFtl-
Cd or whether they board themsslveA
This season the prices are twenty-five
cents per box where piekers arc hoard
ID. and forty cents per boz where they
board themselveA The box-tendefs re.
ceive one dollar per day. or one dollar
and twenty-five cents. IL they beard
Each box ID divides. into
four sections. and the pickers stapa two
On . side. When the box h fstll the
box-tender empties the contents into .
big sack. Every once in . white the
cry Hop sackr' II raised That means.
4 tho picker be . eomely lass. she, must
be dumped unceremouiously intb the
box before It can be properly EN- ptied
The hops are spread On . kiln in hop
house. where they arc subje tied to Q
heat rising mp to one hundred and thirty
3egreea. and then they are bleached
with birthstone TO the right color.
This picking time Ii to many = sort
II long and extended picnic. The. pick
ers manage TO get . fair amount ei fun
put Of country life. The first and last
hop dances are the events Of the sea-
,on. The dance il held in the kiln.
There is no better place. The A5cr il
not waved. Of course; bat il MY be
severed with . layer Of dust The
music is simple. but Il makes noise
enough.
It Is the evening Of the last dases Of
he season. There is now the waning
'queak Of the fiddle. and immedi-
ltely the command, salute your
partners!" There ID no daintyA dis
ant touching Of the 1nges-tips;
no stately, dignilied movement Through
he figures. - one xsees as .Sher-
y's. Oh, NO. When ''all ehpsse."
y grand right and left" Is shsuted,
md the music plays maggie Muyphy's
Home" yell goes up that would not
lisgrace Onondaga Indians. and the air
'eems filed with waving arms. dying
lresses and bursts Of laughter.
An 70. in the wee sma' hours n the
amid universal good scheer
md merriment the hop-pickina sss-
,on Il closed.-Once . Week.
r1llow Sha0s
VVho>v,p haa ~asted valuablA mo