The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-09-25
MIR. MEEKER ON HOPS.
The Crop Of the Whole State
Not Over $1,000 Bales
The QUALITY MUCH IMPROVED,
ssven-Feos Psies An Right - fndfsns
shs Best Piekers-Fsiiy OF Csssius
yfnes II Harvest Tfms.

rnors aicat in regard 10 Il. bat mas foana
him always up 20 his eyes in business lay
ing out worx for an Office full Of clerks.
signing checks bills Of exchange ana de-
Gliding questions In regard TO hop picking.
Yesterday, however, Mr. Meeker's ear was
gained for q moment aud the request was
made Tor an interview. with the result OF
the following conversation. reported stem
graphically:
D. VIVA, do ron estimate the hop crop
for the srafe Of Washington for this year7
A. 1t ia a little early 10 make very deil-
mite estimate Of the crop, but IL Is safe 20
say that the crop Of the state Is coming
down lighter than vas expected. would
not now place 10 at over q. 600 bales.
q. How about the quality
A. The quality will not vary ~ mnon -
last year. There has been decided i'm
movement IN many cases in the manage
nsnt, running at lover temperature and
picking cleaner. Picking began little too
early 10 make the best export hops, but 90
far the New York market has been equal
with the London market.
@. How about the yield OF your own
crop7
Il. Our own crop so far has yielded
nearly twice a. much as last year.
q. How do you account for thatf
A. We'll, last wear We did not cut orr
vines ard cut aEl Of Our poles down to
seven feet above the ground and trained
them on twine. We think that the un.
usual growth was in part attributable 10
the fact that NC did not cut oil our vines
last year as heretofore. Also hops that
are grown on twine weigh heavier. mature
more sogidly and 10 appears yield heavier
than as we have heretofore trained them
on long poles.
o. What Is the heaviest yield that you
have this year procured
A. We cleaned MP one seven-acre tract
on the Riverside farm that gave Us I4-729
pounds. On another five-acre block We
picked $50 boxes, and by the average
weights would make ia, 80 pounds. These
were grown by George Hedges on the
Riverside farm.
@. They arc old hops. are thsyf
A. This 10 the fourth crop on the AVE-
ssrc block and the tenth crop on the
psven-acre block
o. which is considered the best year,
A. The second year Is as good Is any,
epd have had just as good crop the
twenty-third year rs any.
O. Did you have any trouble this year
with your twine in spraying2
A. Yes. some: but VIC In fact run the
vprayers up 10 the very time and after
picking had begun In one part OF the yard.
The unusual heavy growth broke the
twine in some places. Next year We will
train but two vines where we trained three
khis year, aud we will put In twelve-ply
swine where we had only ten-ply this year
O. Do you consider seven-foot poles
aboye the ground the right heightf
A. That il mooted question. On very
strong ground with heavy growth IKE
that we bad this year l am not sure but
what eight feet above the ground would
be better. Our poles are set two and one
halt feet deep. and We can for shout 80
rents an acre raise them up. and we may
10 10 on some of our heaviest land. IL is
much more convenient, however. TO have
ihem only seven feet high, as that high
trainers can reach from the ground. and
furthermore piokers can get ut the hops
better.
q. So where there Is not = very heavy
growth you would advise seven-foot poles
A. Yes. Any one can 60 down into the
puyaiIup yard, which have not picked,
and SEQ for themselves. We will probably
pick 500 pounds 10 the acre, and. by the
way, there Is not q louise or q mouldy hop
% be found In that field, and we will not
Begin picking there until week after next.
Q. Is this true with your Kent yard
A. Not exactly. In the Kent yard there
vas little mould developed on some of
he arms that had escaped the spraying
Incident 10 the very heavy foliage. bat
10 not think there viii be loss of 500
pounds OF hops on 100 acres, excepting
hat because Of having discovered this at
he beginning OF the harvest we began
,ieking q little earlier than we otherwise
should have done.
ihese two vines will remedy the effect of
snyine too heavy growth?
A. Yes; we know il will. We also made
mistake this year In putting up arms on
he Irvine which developed into full
aedged vines.
q. How many pickers have yen at
keut7
A. We have about 60 pickers Mt work.
vi whites except iifiy-two Indians. which
aavc lust been set 10 work.
q. What wages do the pickers make9
A. We exact very clean picking and our
sickers do not make more than $3.50 per
iav and perhaps little under that
9. | would like To know which you pre-
sr. Indian pIokers or whites
4. Indians every time,
@ Whyf
A. Well. because they are used 10 hard.
hips and do not finch from storm and
am like white men and women. Be IL
aid to the credit of the white women in
.nr fields that they have been more faith
hi than the men during rain and storm.
Nc tid not intend 60 employ any Indians
hiss year because there was such A
pressure FOR labor among the whites, hut
tur experience has shown US that IL there
re protraetcd storms numerous whites
viii give out and consequently as a sort of
ecarlty against that we have employed a
ew Indians.
q. Which do von consider the most
seaeeAbse and easily caatrolledf.
A. Well, We never had any real trouble
Fith either. | would say for cur psckeFa
his year that they are steady, INDUSTRY
us, sober and peaeeable.
G. How does the quality Of the oregons
iompare with last YEAR,
A. We have seen bat few Of the Oregon
aTnples - vet. and some OF them have
.een exceedingly fine and some very moor,
Aeexpeet the quality 90 be about the
afAe 80 last year.
e. You did not purchase many Washing
ons last year. Do yna expect 10 deal more
nienslyesy in them this season.
A. We hope 10 be able to DO more byl,i.
tess In NashingfoDs this year than last, as
he qualities are better. The difiicultv
sst year vas that the eTop vas uicke1
cry green and WAS more or less snenlav
nj London hnycrs wonld nat bid an al
hem, excens 81 very low price
q Viii the crop ia general Tor the state
Washington be suitable Tor The London
natkesF
A. On. no. not ay anr means. We have
aieaty af sanr@es nov Submitted that
scn't he looked az Ia london uatl al
sheT qualities are exhausted. Thern Is ne
- 80 osier early picked green SAMPLES o.
ops 10 EaElisa buyers as ianE as fbar
SO gts well rspenea riea hop.
U Dad yen have part Of year vsFi de-
syoysj by malicious cutting Of the vines,
ass aesa currently repasteas
A, Net hill. 20 nav knoWle3Ee. We DO
~ kneN heg that report originated o.
tho pr9nosasea il, has some friends 0f
aaue ErSI toll the Of - acres that have
eea DESTROYED. aext tine 10 Was TOO ans