The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-11-03
gOP RAISERS RUINED.
r;,ht.Cent Hops Means Many
Mortgages Foreclosed.
.,sy FIELDS uhHARvESTED.
- wouldn't Pay for the Picking
last Years. Big Crop TO ELAINE
-fSS: Recalled.

stagfFt than ever known before and
:. vssl4 Is fair, but the prices nave been
- e.IIl are too low 90 pay even for the
-~sestng. and the consequence is that
.s-ss and acres are yet unp!cked and will
:. A. the vines In the meantime farm
81 = are a. their wits ends 10 know what
: a 70 tide over the unproduetive season
81 - i last beginning. II the hop-grow-
8 = rsxlohs OF Madison, Oneida. Otsego.
3 rvznklIn. sc0harle. Ontario and Mont
q .rnsry counties hundreds OF farmers
.raese land Is not payed for and who have
81 szssrfeg chiefly on their hops are likely
s. : lase their farms and their means OF
u vaking livelihood a. the same time
q Il Oneida one Of the chief hop markets
d s,tse world. the savings banks and other
y snsssfs OF farm mortgages are already be-
81 ynring 70 institute foreclosure suits. and
II wsny rsen who have been looking forward
q e TIE tinlo whcn they should own their
ear farms free and clear" and be indie
4 sssdent 81 their creditors. foresee that
j ssst year they VIII be obliged TO rent land
4 = they cultivate f.. betake themselves 70
4 t. cities and pick up what sort OF a living
3 .seg car. or hire out as farm hands to
4 ;sslr moro fortunate neighbors.
re present situation OF these men IS
/ .1ly pitiable. Offering a most startling
tsasrast 70 what II would have been had
q Is prices ruled higher At 10 cents n
lbsai got out whole" at II cents they
yeala have made a little money. at from
b 2 cents they would have been able
8 pay Up. make needed .mprovern ants, or
| h7 BY a portion Of their profits I'm the
ag.ngs bank But az C. and cents, the
] wces which actually rule at present. they
ely get triflc more than the price OF
i fekng. and not enough TO pay for pick
1 kg. Bleaching and preparing for market.
/ A ter -. =,
ss' week. and while there he talked with
I've men who had been extensive hop buy
] trs IN past wears. o NJ Knox and Mr.
Brewnell. Mr. Rrowneil has been one OF
~ largest buyers in the country. but this
sear he has not bought any worth speak
ias OF. He attributes the rulnous prices OF
E5 70 the enormous crop Of last year
Tie brewers bought tremendous stocks
las. year" said Mr.. BrowneH land have
great quantities Of hops on hand at pres
eaf. Tho crop Of 1924 was beyond all con-
paF.son tn It's extent. though the quality
ras not nearly equal to that OF this year
Prices were about as low a year ago as
row but the hop growers had not then
saaered one bad year. as they have now.
They were. therefore able TO raise the
money 10 pay for picking and the crop
sas all ratherod. the hope being that
hey would be able to sell later az better
fsHTes. But this hope was not realized
TIE higher prices for which they looked
never came. and some % them we're
oslged 10 sell. months after harvesting
fAe crops. at L. 5 and e. cents much lower
prices than they could have obtained rad
iheY sold when the hops were harvested.
1t Is the custom for banks 10 loan
roaey 10 hop growers in advance Of pick
- time. the farmer pledglng his crop or
fl7 Of T.. for tao loan and last year this
essen was observed "a usual But this
ysaf The farmers were unable. in many IN
s'8nce~ to borrow tho money. and this is
ne great cause for the leaving OF the hops
spon the vines. although some Of tho
growers followed this course who were
financially able 10 harvest their crops"
what viii the farmers do who are in
doht for their farms and ind themselves
nuabie 20 meet their interest payments 80
Well some Of them viii have 20 give up
their places The savings banks hold a
large majority 81 the mortgages. and in
many cases these mortgages VIII be fore
closed Already notices Of foreclosure are
being printed IN the newspaper. and I'm the
spring many farmers will be dispossessed.
or course those farmers who do not de-
pend solely upon hops for their cash find
themselves ia better condition bat al
thourh most crops are good. prices are
generally low. and the outlook is not par
iicularly bright for any OF the farmers In
this vicinity"
o. NJ Knox. tho other buyer. made sub
siantlally the same statements as those or
Mr. Browuei He was Of opinion how
ever that those farmers who had left
their crops upop the vines would have
cone better - have picked them at any
sacrifice within their power
Il cannot tel YOU" sgtd AIR Knox. how
many acres ~ hops were not picked. but
The area IL enormous. l drove out over tho
bills day or two ago. and was amazed a
'he number ~ yards ! saw IN which the
crops had not been harvested. ! am SURE
] am within bounds in saying that there
we're hundreds or acres over which the
BEAUTIFUL golden globes were still hanging
apon the vines II Is my Judgment that
Prices will he higher 10y and hv. and that
whoever has mons to sell along I'm tho
sprlag viii get some money out OF them.
Conditions VIII BE- different Fl the early
months OF mex. year frora what they were
n the saUe period % this year. Last year
ne crop was ahund1nt: It was simply ire
faendoUs. and the result was such an over
stocking OF ,he breweries as We have never
before seen. Prices were lower last year
than thcy have been since iS5S, and tho
brewers believed u good policy 70 buy
While they could get hops a. or 5 cents
10 matter how many were offered IN an
BE history ~ the hon market prices have
tever remained tow more than two years
They were Down as low as a. present iu
~ remained low all through ISIS and
hsny farmers were sorcly tried during
taose YEARS.
f1e r-sult vas th2t tu the sp~!ur ~ lS11
asndreds ana maybe thousands. o. hop
yards rs fur as ever laid outdoors were
Rowet up by their discourse ged owners
,as' as they VIII oe next spring This re-
a4eee the crcn she next year. in l>'@ hons
SOL az 81 ctntS Those farmers Who bad
retained tactr tath 81 hoops made money