The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1899-09-11
BONANZA HOP YARDS
What One Firm Is Doing About
Salem.
Horst Brothers. Big Yard On the Old
Beak Ranch.

Heretofore hop growing in Oregon has
been supervised by the owner or tenant,
but during. the last year Horst Brothers,
Of San Francisco, who have large hop
yards in Yuba Sacramento and Sonoma
counties, California. have bought 1000
acres in Polk county, near Indepen-
dence, on which they expect TO grow
hops, and the property known as the
Beak farm, situated on Kaisers Bottom,
containing $50 acres, 40 acres Of which
were in hops, the yield from which is
being now gathered. These hops show
what can be grown by proper cultiva-
tion and continuous spraying at the
proper time. The hops are much larger
than those seen in many Of the yards
and are free from lice or mould.
The soil il sandy and much like the
soil in some Of the best hop yards near
Santa Rose, Sonoma county, which have
been visited by the writer.
Messrs. Horst Brothers manager at
the Beak yard is Ezra Cassclman, who
has been a hop grower in different
counties in California since 1875. Mr..
Casseleman arrived here about the mid.
die Of May last, since which time he
with help has sprayed and cultivated
the 10 acres Of growing hops cultivated,
set ont vines, poled and wired 50 acres
Of new yard in which the young vines
are growing healthy and strong. Mr..
Casselman has also superintcndcd the
building Of large hop ware house and
another dryer, there now being thre,
dryers on the place. In polling the new
yard the manager has introduced th,
California style, known az the trelli,
system. The poles are at least 20 feet
high and from 30 TO 10 feet apart; on
the top Is strung "a wire, attached to
which are strings leading down to Tn,
vines. The advantage Of this system /,
that the vines and hops are up clean of
the ground, this giving more room fol
cultivoting aud they are less liable tc
mould. Mr.. Casslcman learned brick
laying in his younger.days and has built
the furnaces and other needed brick
work about the place.
Picking began on the 7th and thcr,
are now about 200 pickers at work
They expect TO finish by the 20 ins,
the prices paid being iOc per box. tn,
pickors average two and half boxer
per day, hut many pick more than Ia,
ave rage. Two bright young womcr
picked eleven boxes one day last week
and the champion picker being
u preacher from Salem who last year
picked 9s boxes IN 10 days, aud one ia,
gathered ~ boxes
The hops are put in large sacks in IA,
yard, hauled to the elevator, worked by
horse power, dropped into the kilns
which dries about 1900 pounds In l6 o
IA hours, thence carried in cars to ia,
cooling room ready for battling
| Another innovation OF Mr. CasselmaI
is the pass book, instead Of tickets. The
bookkccpcr keeps his accounts and ais,
enters all credits for picking aud charges
for supplies in the pass book Of cacl
picker, 50 that il u pass book is lost
there is duplicate account and the
picker does not lose his or her earn
ngs, as has been the case with the
ticket system,
Alexander Fiuay, a Salem mechanic,
was the contractor who put up the new
building, and who is still employed, has
given the best oi satisfaction. Mr..
Casslcman has business and executive
ability, rs we'll as being AN expert in
hop growing asryerything appears To
be- done at the proper time aud every