The record-union., 1895-08-31
THERE IN NO MONEY In HOPS NOW.
And Yet This County Can Boast Of
Some Fine Crops.
How They Look Along the American
River, and the Returns They are
Likely to Bring.

engaged In il; but the present and last
years have been the reverse, and they are
not enthusiastic in their laudatlon OF II
IS a business.
Indeed, the price Of hops this season
promises to be so low that many growers
are seriously debating the question OF
letting the crop go without picking,
rather than go to the expense of harvest
ing it and preparing it for market, claim
ing that they will be better oil to DO SO
than to 60 the additional expense where
the crop is light.
Such being the state of affairs, REC
ORD UNION representative went out yes
terday and visited some of the hop fields
along the American River beyond Brigh-
ton, and as far as Hangtown Crossing.
Only few fields were visited, but the
crops were found to look well TO the un-
initiated eye, with few exceptions
One wbaek just at present seems to
be scarcity OF reliable pickers, and there
DO not seem TO be as many Indians this
year as in years past. Some OF the pick
ers are endeaYoring to get along with
White help, but the consensus OF opinion
among the growers does not seem TO be
IN favor of it. The Indians seem to be
conceded to be the most satisfactory pick
ers, with Chinese and Japanese ranking
next. 1t is a humiliatlng confession to
make that the white men rank the low
est Questions put to several growers,
however, seem 10 estab ablish the fact.
One grower said: u wish 10 employ
white men in preference to those of other
races, but am sorry to say that my eX-
perience Is dlscouraging. L must have
reliable men, or my crop is ruined. l
have number OF excellent white men
who will stay with me through the sea-
son, and [ wish L could say The same of
all The whites. l am compelled to say,
however. thatit is not SO. Every day
eight or ten white men leave me after
working two or three days, and l am
compelled to look for more to fill their
places.
II have been to-day trying to get fifty
Indians to pick for me, but without sue
cess. Too many of the white men work
two or three days. and as soon as they
get few dollars they want to quit don't
want Cinnamon or Japs, but VIII have TO
come to them, / am afraid, and am dis
couraged in trying the whites"
The growers are paying 10 cents bun
dred for picking, but some who have
light crops may have to pay little more
III order that the plckers may earn fair
wages They say that the price is so low
that nothing Will remain to them, even
At that price, when the crop is sold.
Near HangtOwn Crossing is the place
OF SlIas Carle. the well-known contractor.
Mr.. Carle has fifty acres in hops and has
the finest crop on the river, although
there is very little difference between it
and that OF his next nelghbor, George
Menke. The hops on his vines would
make an Eastern grower open his eyes
and ask il everything in California grew
on so large a scale. Mum bers of hops
were seen in this yard that would meas
ure from two to two and half inches,
and the vines were loaded, many having
broken from the fastenings and fallen to
the ground. He has just commenced
baling, and Charles Colquhoun, under
whose management everything runs like
cIockwork, estimates that the average
yield Will run from 1900 to 200 pounds
OF dried hops to the acre. it taking about
three and q half pounds of green hops to
make one OF dried.
There are ninety-fve pickers here who
clean up about one and quarter acres a
Gay. except where the hops are very
heavy. The vines are seven feet apart
making $50 TO the acre and every eighth
row being male roots. Last year the
average was about 800 pounds of dried
hops TO the acre.
MIR. Carrie has irrigated his hop-yard
four times this season, the water being
from the lrrlgating ditch that was ex-
Tended q couple OF years ago from the
Natoma Company's mining ditch, and
from which water is furnished to a num-
Der of places above his on the river. His
hops that are picked the latest will thus
be kept green longer.
Adjoining the Carrie place is that of
George Menke. whose crop is also fine
one, there being but little difference be-
tween his Gnd that Of Mr.. Garlic He is
also baIlng his crop and estimates that it
Will average ton and a quarter to the
acre. he lrrlgates mis- hops, the water
being pumped from we'll on the place.
lie mas atty-twO acres of hops, and at
present there are 100 white men and 30 Japs
employed in picking them. In answer
TO an inquiry as to the average amount a
man picked day, he said that the Japs
picked about $50 pounds and most of
the Whlte men averaged about 100
pounds, although there were mum Der that
picked much more. His vines are well
loaded and will yield well. and irrigation
Will keep them in good order till the
picking Is finished.
VIII Menke has sixty acres and em-
ploys about 200 men. mostly white. the
remainder being Japs. His crop is a fair
one, but will not yield nearly as much as
that of his brother.
Antoine Menke has about l20 acres and
is employing about 225 pickers, about 100
being white and the remainder being
Japs. His front field will yield well. but
hhe part next the river is not so good.
W. W. White Of Brighton EMPLOYS
about forty white men and a LARGE num-
ber CT Indians. His crop is a very good
one.
j. L. Camp has a number of men en-
pioyed, but 1t was stated that he said
yesterday that 1t would not paw him to
pick all his crop, and that he onlv ex-
pected 10 pick enough TO fiji his contracts
ana let the rest go, and that his son
Charles, who IS also a grower, had ex-
pressed the same determination.
Mr.. Carle IS the only one of the hon.
growers along the river, so far as known
VINO expresses the opinion that there will
be any margin left at present prices over
the expense of getting the crop into
market. and he comedies that the margin
Will not be large one. Most of the 9th
ers say that the cost will fully equal. if
not exceed, the price realized by sales. II
would be safe prediction, therefore
tnat none OF the growers in that region
VIII be prepared TO set out large areas of
hop vines next season. Ana vet the hons
themselves arc magnificent specimens of
The article, OF size that would make
growers in other parts of the United
States turn green with envy, fine colored.
full OF aroma and evidently of excel
lent quality and free from all diseases
and Insect pests. Prices, however. are
what tell IN such cases, and for this wear.
al least, there is no money in hops"
DIDN'T KEEP HIS PROMISE