The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1893-04-07
ABOUT HOPS.

y. With favorable conditions the
crop is a most valuable one. There
hre times when the market is
weak and prices are depressed,
but TO the casual observer the
harvest's product always seems in
Remand and capable of finding a
ready money exchange. The for
tunes made by hopgrowers in New
York state are numberless, and
there was time when good hop
farm was worth more than gold
mine. While less profits are
made now, still there is an oppor-
tunity in that line not to be neg |
iected. - The Puyallup valley
hops in Washington are famous,
says the Telegram, and have
brought wealth to many farmers,
and the Willamette valley pro-
duct averages we'll for the raisers.
In the past there has been one
drawback to successful agriculture
in Oregon, Notwithstanding CHI
matte and soil conditions are un-
surpassed. The crops have not
been sufficiently diversified. 1t
has usually been too much wheat.
Now there is a tendency
to branch out in such ways as
raising hops, fruit, or sugar beets.
1t is therefore encouraging to learn
that farmers are extending their
hop acreage and that throughout
the southern counties new yards
will be- numerous. Ii immunity
from lice and favorable weather
are granted them, the amount of
money coming into Oregon i'll re-
turn forthe harvest will be large
and gladly welcomed.
A singular question in connec
tion with. this subject is contained
in the fact that no hop-raising
worth mentioning, has as yet been
done in Benton county. There
are thousands of acres of the best
lands for that crop, within view Of
Corvallis. Much of it is lying idle
and wasting its fertility in the nox-
ious native yerdure. This is a
pure waste of the country's natural
richness; a qualification of the
possibilities to which these broad
acres are capable; and a robbery
to the industrial interests of the
maximum Of their wealth produc-
ing power. Our next door neigh
Dor, Polk county, is working out
Of the astraight wheat-raislng" rut
and is greatly bettering her condi-
ton by raising hops. Not that
the wheat lands have been cur
tailed so much. but that the lands
best adapted for hops have been
reclaimed from idleness, have in
vited additional Industries of a line
vastly.more profitable; have aug
inented population in greater ratio
than the old wheat farm system
ever did; and brings into the
country ten dollars Of clear money
where the wheat industry barcl y
brought one. ~
Fruit raising is also developing
throughout the country, here as
elsewhere, which is an encourag
ing fact. That industry cannot be
too heartily commended nor toe
thoroughly sustained. But there
are lands and lands-by the sec
tion and. the thousand-that are
created in the seternal fitness" fol
fruit and for nothing else. Lei
their culture in fruit be pressed tc
the highest perfection. There are
also thousands Of acres Of lands ex
pressly fitted for hops, and in this
industry will they excel. 1t is the
return of money to the square foot
of anyland that sizes up its value
That product which puts the mos
clear money into the husband
mans pocket on given area O
soil, clearly is the agency he
should employ. The proposition
is self evident. Give the hops {
chance in Benton as well as the
frnlf