The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-09-08
Washingtor's Hop Crop This Year
Will Be a Large One.
QUALITY ABOVE THE AVERAGE.
Fields At Kent Yield n Ton to the
Picking and Hundreds of Pickers
Are Vow in the Fields-White Rfv-
er Valley Farmers Working All
the Help They Can Secure.

Hop picking is in full bias. in Western
Washington. Within a very few days. the
yards in Yakima county and other hop
growing districts east OF ,he Cascades will
be swarming with pickers. There are pien-
~ OF hops and good supply Of pickers.
The hop growers OF Washington will
harvest this year one OF the largest crops
in the history OF the state. The yield on
this side OF the mountains will run nearly.
If not quite. 2,oo0 pounds TO the acre. In
fact. the hop growing industry has taken
on its old-;ime appearance
The pickers with their picturesque cos
tunes, their. merry songs and their even
ing camp fires are to be seen in every hop
growing district in the state. Hop picking
Is with many people 4 summers. outing
almost picnic Many of the pickers camp
IN the open fields. cooking their meals on
improvised stoves or on camp fires. after
The fashion OF The hunter and prospector
The long. cool evenings find than grouped
ABOUT their camps or al the doors OF tie
cottages on The ranches. singing songs, tell
ing stories or exchanging experiences in
the yards. Occasionally one finds. in a
visit to the yards, q young couple strolling
OF IN the evening twilight. and the tale
that IS old but ever new is not infrequently
told when the days work is done.
Ii is almost too early To estimate the size
of this years crop, Reports received from
up the valley, from the Puyallup district
and from Yakima county indicate that the
yield will he above the average both as TO
quantity and quality. The Yakima grow
ers VIII begin picking next week. The
White river valley ranchers are already
working all the pickers they can get Some
thing over 800 pichers have gone from
Seattle to Eastern Washington since the
beginning of the month. as the railroad
records show. On the Northern Pacific
east bound trains. extra car has been
attached every day for the past week to
accommodate the pckers.
The weather in the district about Kent
has been delightful and many families
nave arrived during the past week. bring
ing their tents and camp outfits. Few In
dian pckers are TO be found up the val
ley. Time was when the hop crop was
harvested almost entirely by the siwash
The white pickers have steadily increased
in number ana this year they form the big
majority OF the workers in the fields
w. II. Overlook. Of Kent, who IS one OF
the leading hop growers in Western Wash
ington. said to a Post-lntelligencer report
or the other day:
My hops will so a ton TO the acre | am
confident of this. l have Something like
sixty acres in hops this year and from all
the indications l am satisfied that the
crop VIII be one CT the bes: in the history
Of the state. There is absolutely no vermin
in the fields. and the hops are taking on
the right color 10 give them the best quail
ity. The only thing We tlave to worry
IL he.
particularly favorable for good prices. yet
We are all on velvet. | shall have d good
sized force OF pickerss at work 5y the end
OF the week and next week expect to en-
ploy $50 pickers
Ill Shinn. a neighbor of mine, has
magnificent crop on his sixty-eigh. acres.
Timothy Howley. another valley grower.
has a splendid crop and his hops average
up Well. William Cochrane and NJ Nc
Dougall are other weu-known growers
whose yards viii yield a crop OF the very
best quality.
The district in the vicinity Of Kent VIII
produce approximately 20 tons. or ESQ
bales. This will bring into the community
on basis of 10 cents 10 the pound some
thing like sJoen. The universal price pai6
to pickers is IS cents per box Of loo
pounds"
Robert Dunn. Of Parker. Yakima county.
pFtuIetS al unusually large crop for his
county. II have forty acres this year"
said Mr.. Dunn yesterday. THE crop will
average from $50 TO 2e1 pounds, TO the
acre. The quality IS fine. We are not
troubled with iice in our section OK
poet 80 begin picking next week. The crop
all over the county IS good
Hops have been contracted for this wear
at 10 cents per pound. While this price
SENS small compared to the figures that
have been paid in former yeans Vet IL rep
resents profit per acre on a Weld of
l>i1 pounds. Of upwards of $I,A l. costs
Tie growers 70 grow and harvest their
hops between and ~ cents 70 the pound.
The rate on Eops to The Atlantic coast
has been lowered to $40 per 100 pounds
from Seattle. car loads or less. This was
the rate in effect last year. few weeks
ago the railroads raised the rate 10 s. per
Too pounds. car loads but = has been since
lowered TO the Old figures