The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-06-17
SHORT POLES FoR HoPs.


oFoNcFs Oh oFc$eus
PuyALIUP. June Especial William
Wells. of Polk county. Or, near Inde-
pendence. is the oldest hop grower in that
state, having begun in is57, about the same
time as the Meekers did here. Mr. Wells
is now crltiyating his pioneer yard Of
twenty-five acres. Fred s. Meeker says
that Mr.. Wells raised in lSss and 1889 the
best hops in Oregon. and that he used
short poles; indeed. IL was he whose sue
cess led the Meekers 10 adopt the low
training. When Mr.. Wells was in town
this week he was catechised by the PosT-
IsTELLIGEScER correspondent thus:
How long have you used the short
poles, Mr.. Wells?"
''For eight years"
Are they satisfactory. and whyf"
"Ies. for the vines do not need 10 be cut
at picking time, onlv the lateral branches.
and SO they do not deteriorate by bleed
ing. The sprayer can be used much more
effectively: even the wind blowing makes
no difference in spraying short poles.
"Were you not compelled to use short
poles because of the scarcity of timber %
Yes, We used long, round poles until
the supply gave out. when We cut them all
down to nine feet
"How long have the lice affected YOU ?''
Three years. The first year | dii not
spray. but the next year | introduced the
roller sprayer, with the result of raising
crop comparatively free from lice. al
though the first year did not cucceed as
we'll as aid last year, for did not under
stand how to use the sprsyer and emul-
sion"
"What emulsion do you use7"
Always quassia and whale oil soap"
Have the lice yet appeared with your"
Yes; quite generally appearing on the
5Gh of June"
How soon do you begin TO spray ?"
II shall begin soon az / reach home.
probably on the 18th inst. or the Goth at
the latest, ii the lice continue to increase,
for where you find one there are always
many more that you do not find"
.Are the growers generally preparing to
spray over your way r.
MANY are, but others are not. because
they have not yet been brought TO believe
in its efficacy"
"WouId ii not be much cheaper for
themselves and better for their neighbors
if such growers plowed up their yards at
once?"
"Yes; but ii will come to that in time.
The hop vines infected with lice will die
unless sprayed, and that In proper man.
ner."
"What is the opinion among Oregon
growers as to the kind of trees selected by
hue HF upUu hhlSu W 0cPosit hca SSbo ii
the fall 2n
There is a great deal OF wild plum in
Oregon, but we think many other varieties
of underbrush are thus used, notably the
vine maple"
"What is the outlook for the hop crop in
Oregon at the present timer"
"The increase in acreage will be large.
All kinds of soil is being planted with
hops, and thus there will be some failures.
Those on white land are turning yellow
already. The hops in Oregon are looking
better than usual"
s'Have the floods affected you anyf"
'.No; not at all. We have our high
water in the winter. due 10 rain, but now
the Willamette would need to rise over
eleven feet higher to do any damage"
"You say you do not raise az large crops
of hops rs you use dto; Is it due TO worn
out iand7"
ssNo; il is lack of care, a case In point
being the old Hodson place of about eight
acres, the third yard Put out in Oregon.
1t had been titled until fifteen years ago
and $1,000 or 600 made from Ii, but il
began to fail TO produce crop and there
were missing hills which could not be re-
placed At this time o. +. Beardsley. Of
Eola. bought the yard, cut the poles short
and with good cultivation and care brought
ducing over a ton TO the acre. Land does
not wear out but the vines bleed 70 death.
am very careful that the vines b'eed as
little as possible at oil times. even when
pruning.