The record-union., 1899-08-10
ADVICE TO HOP GROWERS.
LETTER FROM M. H.
burst.
Tells What He Thinks Pacific Coast
Hop Growers Ought
to Do.

The following letter will be read with
interest by hop growers:
Eds. Record Union: would
like to have your indulgence while
enlarge somewhat upon my sugges-
tions to the hop growers of Sonoma
and adjacent counties. The two mat
ters of most importance effecting the
hop growers as a body are the secur
ing of reliable and up-to-date informa
ton of market and crop conditions. and
the handling of their business SO as to
always be in the best position to take
advantage of the market-not of the
town only, but of the world. 1t does
not do now for growers to depend upon
the mails for their advice OF crop and
market conditions.
The growers of the Pacific Coast
should eacn one of them have a re-
least once a week. The expense of
weekly cables would be so heavy that
few individual growers would afford
them. But why should not the grow
ers of each important hopgrowing sec
ton, either through their association,
or by cooperation among themselves,
subscribe the necessary funds to have
mail and cable advice forwarded to
some agent or interested person, who
in turn would forward them to each
subscriber?
From the middle of July to the mid
die of December each year comprise
the time when growers need advice
most. These five months could be
covered by mail and cable advice for
a very moderate sum.
The mail advice would not cost
much-not over % cents weekly for
postage. Some person on this side
could no doubt be arranged with to
furnish reliable advice gratuitously.
Until other arrangements might be
made, I will gladly send weekly crop
reports to any one writing for them
for the mere cost of postage.
By the use of a systematic cable
code a message fairly describing the
market could be sent for from S. to
$40 per week Say it cost $40 per
week for twenty-five weeks, or $40
for cables; another $50 would pay am
ply for mail advice. The total of $3.50
would furnish every one of the sub
scribers with up-to-date information
that could be relied upon.
In Sonoma County there might easily
be fifty subscribers. The cost to each
would be So. BY laying out this 81
man with only a small crop might
easily save from So to $1,000. 1t seems
to me it is step worth considering
by the. growers.
The next most important thing is
for growers to have their hops-or fail
ing that, then a complete line of sam
ples-on the London market
AS explained in my last letter, most
of the choice hops come to London
eventually. The London market makes
the prices for the world.
The proper thing would be, as sug-
gested, for a number of growers to
combine and send their total crops over
to London under the charge of a COM
mittee of the owners. This commit
tee to come to London and be on the
ground while the crops were being sold.
The committee could be in touch with
all of the owners remaining at home,
so that each individual owner could
have as full control over his hops as
if he were on the ground himself.
The men who came over here with
the hops could find out a great many
things of interest and value to the
growers on the Coast. The experience
they would gain would help growers at
home to handle their hops to best
meet the requirements of the London
consumer.
Last fall there was a representative
grower over here from Sonoma County
and one from Oregon. They came on
their own individual account. They
went back satisfied that the trip had
paid them for the time and money it
had cost. If two individual growers
could afford to come over here with
their crops, how much better could it
be made to pay dozen or fifty grow
ers to send two or three responsible
growers over here?
But if a grower does not feel like
sending his crop over here, then the
next best thing is for him to have
complete line of samples over here In
some reliable hands as early as pos
sible after the crop is harvested.
1t is the custom now for growers to
give few samples each to a number
of travellers or. agents of foreign hop
buyers. The grower cannot afford to
give a complete line of samples to all
Of these middlemen, so he doles them
out two or three to each. The results
are not the best for the grower or for
the dealer.
No one on this side or in New York
is going to buy a crop of hops on two
or three type samples without allowing
larger margin for possible failure to
came up to sample, than if he were
buying on a straight line of samples
say one in ten for the whole crop.
Some anxious dealers may tell the
grower he can sell whole crop on
one sample; but it is pure "boncombe"
if he does. I know from personal ex-
perience that buyers here will buy
quicker and pay from one to two cents
more for a lot of hops on a complete
line of samples than they will for same
crop on one or two type samples only.
l have been here some nine years
now. and that is my experience. The
suggestion l am going to make is that
each grower of the association should.
as early as possible, send a complete
line of samples, say one sample for
every tenth bale as it comes from the
press over here He can then at any
time cable for quotation, offer, or
valuation on his hops, and thus tell
whether to accept offers or not.
I am ready to do anything I can to
help the growers with their samples.
They can be sent to me, and 1 hold
myself ready to turn them over at
any time to any one the grower may
give an order for them.
The limit of weight for samples by
sample post is twelve ounces and the