The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-04-19
N ABOUT HOPS2
~ n Growers and Dealers
= the Situation.
- Low PRICES. DISHONESTY


4
ss~k. Prominent dealers IN the product
- - heard to say that the conditions
<;rpufug the hop MARKET are not to be
1rnaood save by those handling hons
- ne statements made by several bop
- mo are thoroughly posted on the
-1unfkon the coeses Of discourAxsnent to
- erpwers In this state are overproduc-
= mpect pests. unfavesabfe freight rates
x Incidentally. the sascality OF some
s~wFupuiops dealers.
4 ~ yezrs ago hop raising rose Into
- fsvor. Every farmer with q few
- srres put In hops. Many Of the
80 uers handled In q careless. inefKic-
- nanner and when sold did not pay the
- = production In i9e4 the average
- STAINED was III cent? pound. The
III esason saw Q fall to an average Of
eum and TOW the choicest hops are
slaae 81 2 TO ~ cents q pound.
U1ah she advent OF the louise IN 1880 the
srbls Of the hop grower began. The
- multiplied At an alarming rate, and
- egs.rAn the yards. When the time for
,kekin~ approached the hops would be so
1iekly covered with the green Ice that
-erv y,rds looked like gardens of green
6ruea. Spraying with whale Oil soap ard
~uopgla chips was tried. but so much Of
- poison was required to kill the pests
- ~ buds themselves were destroyed
~ insect looks like q cabbage louise.
MURDERS Of yards wfA not be worked this
ysss. and many acres win be plowed up.
III what percentage Of the acreage has
- or viii be piowed up cannot be deter
ulcsd, but IL veriousiy estimated at from
90 % per cent.
Ezra Meeker's Views.
41arfy years ago this month . peck Of
pla "a IN txA linn
nIIey and the foundation was laid for
~. proved to be a great industry. Mil
~ Of money has flowed into this state
& consequence of this modest beginning.
aot money that was widely distributed.
Nary q struggling pioneer. settled upon a
rev home. has had his winter larder filled.
a. wardrobe replenIshed and his pin
raueys provided for by picking hops, TO
esrry them through the year until their
eroos would mature and new hop-pIck-
ID come.
Nov, to many. II would seem that the
sis-y Of '.hop-picksng times" nad gone. to
fmufn no more. Many OF the fields lie ur-
cultivated. Notwithstanding the season Ia
nav well advanced, and by many II Is
estimated that fully half the acreage will
be destroyed.
remember once writing to Dexter Hor-
ION. OF your city. then In San Francisco.
a. a commission merchant. asking him
about selling my hop crop. He wrote back
that s'ths bottom had fallen out OF the hop
market" and not to send them to him. for
he could not sell them. This was along
early In the '70s. at which early date
Nessrs. Mead and Thompson pioneers in
the business were preparing to pillow up
Q part Ok their hops leased that por-
zion OF the doomed hop yard. and sold the
next years crop on Of II for 50 cents a
pound Another period Of depression came
IN 1850 and 1851. and Robert Moore. OF this
valley. contracted half his crop In the
spring OF issc for i2is cents per pound and
cold the remainder OF the crop in the fall
for Il a pound.
II vas fashionable In that year to decry
hon grower. and wonder "why the fools
d1n't pillow up their hops and raise po-
hsoes or something else they could eat"
Isaac W. Anderson. OF Tacoma. having
lcasht a small farm near Alderton. upon
sAlfh there vert four acres Of hops, fol-
hstd this advice. piowed up the hons and
f1r;ea the ground in potatoes. with the
Nit that he could sell his potatoes only
- cengs a bushel. while hops were
ssssf after at 81 pound.
VILE these "reminiscences are interest
~ IN recalling ol3en times. yet do not
e'-oduce them here merely TO interest
var readers. but rather 20 recall a lesson
tax might be a prfit TO some and a warn
Tx 10 others.
60 not now have within easy reach
statistics for prices In the United States
Tor series OF years that are reliable.
Some statistics collected during my re-
esrS soiourn I'm London Will serve 20 Illus
'raie the point IN hand. as the markets
% both sides the Atlantic move In sym
Daty.
The Lowest Price.
TAs lowest average price paid for En-
fish hons since 1919 was 81 shillings per
hnDtredwelgtt, or II $40 cents per pound.
On the London market. for the year 1876.
Yor which there are any reliable rs.turrs.'
II Is, however known that for the 1876
crop less average than these figures
quoted will be received. unless some very
extraordinary mishap 70 the incoming
erep should occur. During this period
there has been some very high priced
wears, but never within the memory ~
man 50 low as now prevails. Within tina;
Period as high as si.si. average, was paid
per pound for the year isIT; Is cents for
he year iSeS. 1850. lss2. and over 80 cents
Tor the years 1916. ISIS. 1880 and 1855.
The average on the London market from
W. TO 1919 was 81 cents per pound: from
M 70 iss. ses. cents per pound. from 1879
70 lSs z s-io cents per pound. from 1870 10
ise, s'ls cents per pound: from $50 TO iSss.
" cents per pound. from isssa 10 1850. y
cents per pound; from 1870 20 1879. S5as cents
per pound; from $50 10 1889. eaAa cents per
pound; from 100 10 1894. inclusive, soa1
cents per pound. Thus II will be seen tina,
irom an American standpoint. In no de-
eaae since isiT have prices been less than
2 paying ore. The English hop farmers
nave made money during the average OK
years. ard the crop has been considered
" profitable that the church has laid claim
70 part q n In the shape Of extra tlthes
tasi serve TO weiSh down the STRUGGLING
mop growers IN periods OF depression. in
many cases
Hops In England.
The cost q producing hops IN England Is
much greater than IN this s,a.e. Careful
esumatcs made under parliamentary COM
W's'ee Investigations have placed the av-
sage cost OF producing hops at is cents
per pound. while here t viii cost no more
'aan centS-s al most.
Quality tho Factor.
Tae cost II producing hops is no, the
F.saiem 'hat wholly solves the question
q where this Industry can thrive the best
Wealthy IS greater factor than the aues-
IVA az eos;. or At least has eeen until
Hafe recon; times where markets have
zen manipulated TO destroy prices. VITA
eat reference 20 qualities. or whether there
as surplus or = shortage. The aaAlt-
rs N tais state. y mast he admitted
save. since the advent 81 Verulia. deter
.'Fssed very rapidly. ;or which. II great
Asss tAe grow eTs are themselves 20 blame.
rae crop >s&sCn q iSS5. however. Vas
sseep,lcrAl N that at rs time was q pos
seie 20 asrVes; the ''ola-;lme" Quality, ard
ee'ais1S in 4 year q a great aasi heretofore
sAeeAr,i-of surplus. values went cut Of
ssat early. snakirg a large ioSs 20 those
@es harvested sAs,r CROPS
he luFursr.
Wa; tire future Of the hon business ef
saas state " 81 DC u would he Idle for me