The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1899-03-30
ABOUT HOPS.
An Experienced Grower Shows How to Cuitl.
vate A Successful Hop Crop.

waite A Successful Hop Crop
EDITOR THE HERALD The production
Of hops has become one of the staple in
dustries OF the Pacific Coast States,
Washington, Oregon and California.
Over one hundred Thousand bales of hops
are grown in these States. Yakima
county will furnish about $4,000 bales
alone of this total. As the hop growers
have lair prospect ahea1 they should
take great care in blowing, cultivating
pruning and trimming their hops. Give
the yards deep blowing with 12-inch
pillow. Hops will gov on different vari-
cites OF soil, but the deep, river bottom
land, mixed with clay, will produce the
best quality and largest quantity. Land
with hard subsoil should never be used
for hops, rs it prevents the roots from
going down to draw moisture. In pre-
pairing the soil for planting new yard
should be done no, later than February,
but still better if done in October or Nov
ember, 10y blowing the land as deep IA
one can 20 down with the pillow. Level
the field, mark off the ground not less
than six and 4 half or seven feet apart,
set the poles before planting. then select
two to three cool roots and plant them
on the northeast side Of the pole Keep
all weeds and grass down nv cultivation.
| have raised with such management 1900
pounds per acre the first year of planting.
l did not sell any yearIing hops. buttthey
were fully matnred hops, aud nobody
could tell the difference at the time the
hor3 were on the poles or after they were
pie.ed.
The first move toward cultiyating a
crop s the pruning. This should be
done as early as the weather will permit.
All runners should be removed and the
growing root cut back below the surface.
Great care should be taken to get the
vines from the lower buds OF the roots as
they will make q very thrifty growth and
heavier crops than the upper buds of the
root. Try it! The first blowing should
be done before pruning, with a double
team, aud as deep as can he done, turn
ing the furrow from the hill. Be careful
not to cut the hills. See to it that every
inch OF land between the rows, aud HI
close to the hills as possible, is thorough
ly plowed. After the vines have started,
cultivate thoroughly net less than once
every three weeks, until about the fret
of July, when the bloom begins to show,
after viii L there should be no more cul-
tivation. Use double shovel pillow or
fine tool cultvatoi By so doing your
yard will never have the appearance of
raising joint crop-"hops and weeds"
In training great care should be taken.
The healthiest vines should be selected,
which are the vines coming from the
lower buds of the roots. Many growers
are making mistakes by training too
many vines to the poles. II land is rich
train two vines to the hill. 1t will give
better crop and better quality, than
three vines, but in most OF the yards in
Yakima county three vines can be
trained to the pole. When the vines get
started there is no trouble until they
reach the top of the pole; then great care
should be taken to train on the twines.
II you use twine only one way, use it
from east to west. The vines will stay
better on the twine, the hops will have
more sun, and there will be no trashy,
bleached hops, which often spoil the
samples.
In regard to the amount OF money
which the growers are losing every year
by not turning out choice hops; on &C.
count of early picking, green trash, over.
drying. rough handling by unloading
kiln, and baling will write some other
time. Aug. HAaMEL.