The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1894-03-29
NORTH YAKIMA, WASHINGTON, THURSDAY 1894.

then covered up in boeing. We use
shovel pillow to At the yard for hoeing.
After the yard has been hoed once
the cultivator should be kept going,
for doing the hot months Of July and Au-
gust a drouth will do serious damage, and
the only way to counteract il Is to keep
the ground stirred This is necessary for
the prosperity Of the crop; and II Is .
noticeable fact that half worked yards
stop growing and do not recover from the
effects Of hot, dry weather. When the
viue is ready to blossom the second hoe
ing should take place.
The hills should be made high, because
high hills will he found effectual In pre-
venting damage from the hop grub. This
is one Of the worst enemies OF the hop
growers, and until something is found
that will destroy them many Of the vines
can I've saved by making hill Of sufficient
size to cover the crown three or lour in
ches deep. Tie grub invariably attacks
the vine near the crown and IL the soil
extends up over it the plant will send out
numerous rootlets above the wound to
gather nourishment and keep the vine
alive. High hills are also the best, be-
cause they protect the hull during cold
weather and prevent winter killing. Some
growers claim that after the second hoe
ing the ground should not be disturbed,
because OF the iunumerable rootles. or
tibers that are sent out Of the hi! in every
direction but this theory is overbalanced,
We think by the marvellous growth the
weeds will make from this time until
winter, and the work necessary to EXTERN
mate them the next year. tits not profit
able to cease cultivation until near pick
ing time.
For fertilizer in the fall we use Canada
ashes, applying ton per acre. Thus We
supply with ground bone the three lead
ing constituents OF plant food, viz: sm-
monia, phosphoric acid and potash. The
crop seems to require an abundance OF the
two last named materials and we think
the two fertilizers given furnish them the
cheapest. While the bone furnishes
phosphoric acid in abundance (standard
brands containing about 25 per cent? the
ashes also give plenty OF potash in which
most soils are deficient, a ton OF I'M
leached hardwood ashes yielding about
$50 pounds OF sulphate OF potash. This
way OF feeding yard will furnish the
necessary material to grow large crop of
fine quality in an economical manner.
The cost to fertilze our yards by this
combination for the past three years has
been oil cents per pound and the average
yield per acre 500 pounds. The quality
will be enough better by growing in this
way TO pay the entire cost OF fertilizers.
This may seem to be strong statement
but it takes but few points in the quail
ity OF a sample to make difference OF q
cent or two in price. 1t will be found
that the quality of crop fed in the man
ner that we have mentioned will show
marked improvement over the old
method OF fertilizing with barnysrd ma
nure, which grows large crop Of vines
and small crop Of hops.
Although the harvesting and curing Of
the CT Up is not part Of our subject, it is
OF so much importance that We think it
advisable TO treat it briefly. One OF the
principal reasons why hops are a failure
is because they are not picked clean and
properly,cured. This is illustrated in our
home market. About three weeks ago a
lot OF hops were sold in a neighboring
town for 81 cents. Soon after, with no
apparent change in the market, another
parcel was sold in Cooperstown for IA
cents. What caused this great difference
in the value of the two crops? 1t was
mainly dne to the manner in which they
were harvested and cured. The 2l-cent
lot were well grown, well picked and nice
ly cured, while the IA cent hops were a
dirty-picked and poorly cured crop, that
obliged their owner to take one-third less
than he could have realized for first
class article. Does not this show that it
pays to pick hops clean and dry them ?
Our principal competitors in the business
(the Pacific coast) pick their hops clean,
and while their quality is inferior to ours,
they come into the strongest competition
all because we are not particular in re-
gard to harvesting our crop. Their acre
age increases with alarming rapidity and
on account Of their ability to procure The
crop cheaper than can be done in New
York state, the outlook is not promising
for us unless we are more careful to i'm
prove our quality by proper fertilization,
clean picking and frst-class curing. In
other words, study the business and give
it personal attention that well paving
crop demands.
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