The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-09-20
CARE OF HOP VINES.
The Secret Of Keeping Out Lice
and Other Vermin.
THE PRACTICE IN ENGLAND.
An Insurance Man Gives Hop Growers
Some Hfnts-One Cause OF
Fires In Hop kiins.

Leslie A. Wright. Of San Francisco. spe-
ciai agent of the Scottish Union and Na-
tonai Insurance Company and Orient In
surancc Company, is At the Hotel Butter.
and In an interview with . Pcsr-lsTTLLT-
eKxeER reporter yesterday outlined some
OF the conditions surrounding the hop IN
dustrv of this state. as seen from an insur-
ance mans standpoint Mr.. Wright said;
81 have Just returned from the North
Yakima country. where our company
writes largely on the hop kilns and their
contents. and can report the crop OF most
excellent yield aud quantity with the ex-
cepticu Of one or two yards, when are
slightly affected by lice and mold. ME
in North Yakima / met Mr.. CarTnicnaei,
an Englishman. who for some fifteen years
was q large grower of hops IN the suisse
and Surrey hop raising communities IN
England. and AZ present 30 engaged IN
Idaho. During the active season at North
Yakima he acts as buyer aud shipper Tor
large London buys-s. who purchase I'M
mense quantities Of our hops for the man
ufacture of their alss, porters. etc., which
are shipped afterwards 10 all parts OF the
world. We therefore play an important
part In the fortunes Of such men as Bass
and Guinness.
From Mr.. Carmichael / gathered very
active impressions of the differences be-
tween the English and American systems
adopted in this important industry ana
must say | find points in the English sys-
TEN which are laden with good common
sense. There are about 81, 600 acres of hops
raised in England each year. and their ex-
periences has extended over period so
much longer than ours that they are
naturally qualified to suggest IN reference
to many features governing the care OF the
growing vines. and especially the hghtins
Of lice. They operate manly upon the
principle that even the human race. If not
exercising an.ordinary amount of cieanli-
ness, will In time become subject to YER
min, and they keep their yards carefully
cultivated and clean of any weed growth
whatsoever. They also do not believe IN
afording shelter in any way for the louise.
consequently they plant the vinesssll apart
and, under no circumstance, string them
from pole 10 pole. as is done In this coun-
try. This stringing. they say, not only
will not permit the passage of horse and
cultivator through the yard, but also az
lords n fine shelter of which the lice are
quick to avail themselves. Ny advice TO
our growers Is TO thin out and widen their
yards, keep them clean and / think they
will gather a cropof much better qualltv
The idea here seems To be TO use every foot
of space to the ultinats sacrifice of large
part of the crop TO the lice. OF course do
not mean to say the course suggested will
keep the lice entirely away. but certainly
believe IL will much lessen the ravages az
present extant
You will understand that the drying of
hops is attended with considerable hazard
to the houses and the hops themselves,
and every precaution should be taken by
the owners to lessen the danger of fire, so
the insurance companies will be encouraged
TO offer their security in return for ia o
premium received. To this end one sug-
gestion could be made which Is of con-
siderable importance 10 the safe handling
of the crop All growers should absolutely
prohibit the presence of matches upon
picker during the time he is 50 engaged.
IL is q very simple matter for a match TO
get into the hops picked and to set fire TO
them after they get into the dryer. Such
a ire as this seems at the time inexplicable
and is apt to occur IN house Of the most
modern construction, but the cure is SIM
pie and every grower should be mindful
OF 1t.
AT present the price of hops is not en-
couraging. but il seems to me an advance
should take place, If for no other reason
than the miscalculation In the matter of
output on this Coast. This was first esti-
mated TO be about 20o, 600 bales, but it is
safe to predict that not much more than
half that amount will 90 upon the market"