The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-08-20
GREAT YIELD OF HOPS.
THIS SEASONS CROP ONE OF THE
LARGEST EVER KNOWN.
Yards Entirely Free of yermin-
Growers Near Kent Certain OF an
Enormous Product and n Good
Price-Hops of a Fine Quality
Per 100 Pounds.

The wheat farmers are not the oniy ones
who have reason 10 rejoice a. t1s prospect
OF o4g crop ard 3 eag pTlee- Tie mop
farmers OF Western " Washington havs az
thAs moment fully as bright, or even oE1snt-
er, prospects than nave S1s wheat sEo~-
ers OF the eastern portion Of The state. he
low price which has prey 24lsd Tor many
years, and the ravages OF The lce have
had the eject u driving very large num-
Der % the former hop growers O. tbs state
INTO abandoning the business ploNlAS Up
their yards and converting their hop
houses INTO stables or barns Quite NUM-
Der have. however, hung on, and this year
they viii reap tbs reward u their courage
and persistence.
Hop picking E.u commence, possibly.
within the next TWO weeks, certainly be-
fore the lSt OF September. Win the crops
row practically ready for harvest, u can
be stated that never, IN the best years OF
its history, has the White river valley
produced q crop OF higher quality and few
Of greater average weight than will be
harvested this year. Especially Is TINS
true Of the hops in tAe nelghb0rhOod OF
Kent.
John P. Hartman. jr., returned yesterday
from visit OF some days up the val
ley. While al Kent, he visited the large
l-s-aere hop held or the Aeeksr place, and
made close and careful inspection OF the
VINES E2t Vas G-2@<24S IA Tic NAS4I --S-A -
ma single trace OF ysrr.In- Persistent
spraying has apparently completely Grad
icated the pest which had nearly ruined
this once profitable industry. The hop
blossoms are larger and present = better
appearance than they have for years past,
and Mr.. Hartman estimates that the yield
viii come close On 10 2,Qe1 pounds. or Up TO
the highest ever produced IN this partiea-
lar field.
All the other hor, wards around Kent lnok
equally ss well. Those around Puyallup.
which were also visited by Mr.. Hartman.
are looking very We'll but have suffered
much more from veTmil than has been the
case at Kent.
The growers are now anxiously figuring
upon the question OF procuring pIckers.
The fields around Kent viii need from 1.o.a
10 l,so pickers; and those around Puyaliup
about as many more. Growers this year
have decided 10 abandon the old method
Of measurement and pay, that IS by the
box, and in lieu thereof, vii adopt the
fairer method of paying by weight The
price fixed is - cents per 100 pounds. With
the present crop, owing TO the cleanliness
and extraordinary size OF the hops. a much
greater weight of hops can be picked Ia a
day than has been possible for many sea-
sons.
Application VIII be made by the growers
10 the railroad companies for the usual re-
ductions in rates to hop plckers, which
have been annually granted heretofore, so
that the growers may be enabled TO get
the necessary number of pickers.
While the crop is abundant and the quail
lily choice, there IS also the best prospects
for good price The prospects now are
that this seasons crop OF King county
hops VIII command not less than Is cents
pound, which viii return fair margin
OF profit for the first time in many years.